FireFly

Chapter Twenty

He was discharged from the hospital later that day. Connor drove him home, since Heidi had a class to go to, and although usually Connor would drive quite recklessly he made sure to be extra careful around the potholes and bends so that Evan's arm wasn't jostled much.

Connor couldn't stay long, he got Evan comfortable on the sofa with a blanket and some painkillers and put the blondes favourite movie (The Lorax) on television, he wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with his boyfriend under the blanket and fall asleep watching some old cartoon movie about fluffy orange creatures and trees but he knew that if he got home any later than he already was then Larry would have his head.

"Hey Hansen, I've got to go but call me if you need anything," he said softly, placing a kiss on Evan's forehead.

"W-Will you be safe?" He slurred in reply, eyes already falling shut.

Connor laughed, "Course I will."

"Okay," Evan yawned, "Love y-you."

"I love you, too." He smiled, watching his boyfriend close his eyes and snuggle deeper into the blankets, chest rising and falling with every breath. "A lot."

He turned down the volume on the television and sneaked out of the house, closing the front door softly as he left, in case Evan woke up.

The last thing Connor wanted to do was to go home. Well, calling it 'home' was a bit of a stretch because it wasn't and could never be his home. It was just a household he so happened to be a part of.

The truth was, Connor had been homeless for a long, long time. He had all the luxuries of a roof over your head, food in your stomach but never the warmth of a loved one or the sound of laughter and people enjoying life.

Because there was never any laughter in the Murphy household and if he remembered correctly, the last time he had seen his parents actually enjoying their life was a New Year's Eve party at a friends home. Connor had been eight years old, Zoe was almost seven and they were so in awe of the fireworks that Larry and someone else who he couldn't remember the name of, were setting off. Connor had wanted to help them but Larry scooped him up into his arms and told him that he didn't want Connor to get hurt and that when he was a big boy he could help, Connor used to protest that he was a big boy thank you very much but Larry laughed and told him to go play with Zoe.

But none of that mattered because now he had found a home in Evan Hansen, going to his house was just something he had to do.

It wasn't a surprise to open the front door and see Larry standing by the staircase, arms folded, like they usually were when he wanted to yell at Connor.

"Where have you been?" He asked, sternly. "You've not been home for almost two days!"

Connor shrugged, "I'm sorry."

The older man scoffed, "Oh you're gonna be sorry, now where have you been?"

With my boyfriend who was in the hospital with a broken arm because I led him to suicide when I picked a fight with him right after making love for the first time.

"Nowhere."

"So getting high?" Larry raised an eyebrow, "I'll ask Zoe, I know something's up with you!"

Before Connor could process what was happening, his dad had smacked his hand against the wall in anger and raced up the stairs.