Friday Afternoons

EVAN

Fridays were Evan's favorite day of the week. Most people liked the weekend, but more than the idea of a free day Evan liked the finality of the last school bell. Even before he met Connor, this had been true - but getting to drive home with his boyfriend only made the afternoon sweeter.

Evan thought of this as he climbed into the passenger seat of Connor's car - a black truck, paint chipped from a history of late-night drives and trips to the abandoned orchard. Connor already has the keys in the ignition, not putting on his seatbelt before he backs out of the parking spot and speeds off of the high school campus. Evan was wearing his seatbelt - not because it was the law, but because Connor's driving was far from safe and he refused to improve it. The radio played softly as they drove to Evan's house, the duo not listening but leaving it on anyway. Their hands rested on the center console, clenched tightly and, because of Evan, slightly sweaty. Their drives used to be filled with conversations, learning as much about each other as they could in the short time it took to reach Evan's townhouse, but now they were content to simply feel each other's presence.

"Your mom works the late shift tonight, right?" Connor asked, expression blank. Evan nodded and waited for him to continue, but he only smirked and popped open his car door to head inside. Evan pushed down his mix of curiosity and confusion and followed the taller boy.

Connor made a beeline for the kitchen, Evan trailing behind with soft steps. He only watched as his boyfriend boiled water and- oh, he was making tea. Evan nearly beamed.

When they first started talking - not long after Connor had apologized in the computer lab, since he had quickly pieced together that Evan wasn't capable of making fun of him like he had assumed - Evan had thought Connor would be a coffee person. However, he quickly found that the boy always carried a thermos of chamomile. It only made him cuter, and Evan realized his feelings soon after.

Evan was pulled from his reminiscing by the kettle beginning to steam. Connor had gotten two mugs from the cabinet and was softly pouring the water over tea bags with a smile on his face. Once he put down the kettle, Evan fell into his arms. He heard a fond huff before hoodie sleeves enveloped him, the grip tightening as Evan giggled.

"Thank you," Evan muttered, pushing himself into the boy's chest. Whether he was thanking Connor for the tea or just being there for him, he didn't know. Maybe it didn't matter. Connor kissed the top of his head, pushing off the counter and having to move around Evan as he grabbed the cups of tea.

The duo was soon cuddling on the living room couch, the TV on for background noise but their focuses entirely on their partners. Cups of tea steamed on the coffee table, still too hot to drink. Evan tried his best to memorize the way Connor's hair fell over his face; Connor seemed to be doing the same, his blue eyes tracing the lines of flyaways with a soft smile on his lips. This was not the first of these types of afternoons, nor would it be the last. Each member of the couple was entranced by the other, in more than the way caused by a relationship's "honeymoon stage." They sat, staring, until the scent of their tea became so strong they were reminded of it. At this point, Evan drank both cups - Connor couldn't stand a blend that was too strong, but Evan would drink anything he could get his hands on as long as it involved boiled water and leaves. It was the opposite with food, Connor's tastebuds being notoriously useless in determining whether or not something should be eaten. It was how they worked - how they balanced each other out.

As Evan picked up the second mug, he thought again of his love for Fridays. More specifically, of these. Comfort was scarce in Evan's old life. But once he questioned the reasons for his crush on Zoe - the answer being her similarities to her brother in how she spoke and carried herself - his life changed. Snuggling closer to his boyfriend's side, Evan sent thanks to any higher beings that he had ended up where he was. That he had questioned things, accepted Connor's apology, and kept his anxiety from the forefront of his mind as a budding friendship turned into more.

Connor tugged at Evan's hands, which were both being used to hold his cup, and he set it down with a smile to fall again into his boyfriend's arms. With their bodies pressed together, hands tangled, and breath mingling pleasantly, Evan idly wondered if his love of Fridays was a prediction of these afternoons. He wouldn't mind.