Step Into the Sun

36

Thursday.

Evan was explaining to Connor the basics of "Thanksgiving with the Kleinmans: the Annual Autumn Event".

"So, there's Joy and Robert (who we call Bobby) - those are Jared's parents," he began while picking out his outfit.

"Robert and Bobby have the same amount of syllables," Connor pointed out from Evan's bed.

"Yeah, it's more of a casual version than a shortened version. His work name is Robert, friends and family call him Bobby. He kind of seems serious but he'll make a few jokes that are really funny. He's where Jared gets his sense of humour from."

"Ah." Connor nodded as he finished tying his shoes. "Continue."

"Joy is really sweet like my mom, you'll like her. Then there's Tom and Nancy, who are Joy's parents, and Caroline who's Bobby's mom. His dad died, like, eleven years ago. All of the grandparents are pretty regular old people. Tom likes riddles. Nancy likes hugs. Caroline likes art and stuff, so you'll get along with her real well. How does this look?"

Evan held up a pair of khaki pants, a white dress shirt, black suspenders, and a red bowtie.

"Fancy. Should I have dressed up more?" Connor looked down at his light grey jeans and red flannel over a white tank top.

"No, you look great. I'm just in a dressy mood," Evan explained. "Don't look, I'm gonna change."

Laying back on the bed, Connor covered his eyes with his folded arms.

"Tell me about the rest of the people who'll be there."

"You already know Jared. He'll definitely tone down his sexual innuendos and stuff, he's a good boy around his grandparents. There's his sister, Annabel, we call her Anna, who's married to Ken and they have a two-year-old named Jacob."

"Is that all?"

"Yup. Except for their dog, Lucy," Evan concluded.

"Are you dressed yet?"

"Yeah, you can look now."

Sitting back up, Connor watched as Evan clipped the front parts of his suspenders to his pants.

"Can you help me with the back?" He asked, flipping the straps over his head and walking over to the bed so he could reach.

Connor straightened out the back where the two straps crossed and clipped them onto Evan's pants on either side of the middle seam. He took his time, hoping to get just a few more seconds in of admiring Evan's ass in those pants.

Evan began tying his bowtie and turned around to face Connor once his suspenders were secured in place. He focused intently on doing it the right way with his tongue poking out between his lips the tiniest bit.

Watching fondly, Connor memorised every little detail of Evan in that moment. His hair was styled neatly, his blue irises barely visible through his thick eyelashes as he looked down at his neck.

Connor couldn't fight the smile and the soft blush appearing on his face as he admired the boy.

When Evan had finished tying the tie, he frowned at it. It had twisted somewhere in the steps he tried to follow carefully. He groaned in frustration and undid it, then lined up the sides to try again.

Connor stood and brushed Evan's hands away, taking the ends of the tie into his own hands. He began tying it himself, his slender fingers moving nimbly to affix the fabric amongst itself.

As Evan watched Connor's face, his cheeks grew hot at the proximity. His usually messy hair had been conditioned and brushed out, and it now cascaded in silky curls around his face. He was freshly shaven and smelled clean and masculine.