𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 - A Dear Evan Hansen Fanfiction

Chapter Ten - Tea for a Cold

Connor and Evan had been living in their dorm together for a few months now. Things went about as usual; Evan going to classes and work, and Connor going to work from the dorm. When they would both be home, they spent as much time with each other as they could, talking with each other during dinner, watching shows or just going about their activities in the same room as each other.

Once Connor was released from the hospital after his attempt, Evan and Connor seemed to bond more. Bond over the fact that they've both thought about and tried killing themselves at least once. Bonding about their traumatic lives that brought them to this point.

Evan informed his work of the incident and requested he get less hours in order to make sure he's there for Connor most times of the day. Texting wasn't the easiest when he was at work, and even when they texted in class, he could tell by the vague way Connor texted that he was lonely at home.

The best thing about the two bonding was that they'd grown closer. Things were less awkward after a few days of adjusting to the layout of the dorm, and getting comfortable with each other's presence. Connor coming into Evan's room late at night to be with him became a daily occurrence, until he no longer felt the need to ask if he could doze off by his side while Evan worked on assignments.

A month went by since Connor came back from the hospital, and now he was just as clingy as a Maltese dog who gets carried around in purses and groomed everyday with bubble baths. Connor was oblivious to the fact that Evan wasn't oblivious. He was vague about his need for Evan's presence, doing his best to make it seem like the spammed messages asking when he'd be home was simply a friendly worry, making sure he stuck to his word.

But Evan knew. Evan knew that Connor was lonely, and all of his free time went into hanging out with him. He never once complained about the amount of time and care Connor required to keep him happy. He enjoyed it and was happy to help his new roommate be as comfortable as possible.

The once burly, tall man who smirked at playful remarks and made anyones legs shake from his height became a shy, quiet boy who feared abandonment. Evan didn't know if it was because of the trauma he went through, or the fear that Evan didn't want to help in his recovery from depression. But nevertheless, Evan was more than comfortable being around Connor as often as possible.

Connor

Are you almost home yet?

Evan got stuck at work with the closing shift. As much as he begged his manager to let him off early, he insisted that he had something to do tonight and couldn't close himself. So there Evan was, waiting for the customers that would never arrive this late. Who buys a Jamba Juice smoothie at 8pm?

He felt a buzz in his pocket and felt his eyes open from the sleepy position they were in prior, and checked the time. He could already guess what the text message asked, and he was minutes away from closing. Nobody else was in the store, so it would be safe to take a quick look at his phone, right?

Evan carefully pulled his phone halfway from his pocket and turned to look down at the message, sighing. He felt bad, knowing Connor was sitting at home, alone, waiting for him to get home so they could chat and catch up about their days-- Evan's day, mostly.

Evan

Not yet, manager put me on the closing shift.

I close in 3, then I'm headed home.

Do you want me to pick up dinner on my way?

Just as Evan was about to pop his phone back into his pocket, he felt it buzz once again. He had to give it to him, Connor was a reliable texter. Never did he have to wait for a response to a question, anticipate a vague answer, or sit in his growing bubble of anxiety at the fact that he hadn't gotten an answer in three hours.