#x jack

Well this wasn't how Conor had thought the day would go. Sure, he had been hearing news reports about the hurricane just like everyone else, but the last thing Conor (or any of them really) had expected was for the path of the storm to change. But it had. So now instead of a fun scavenger hunt, Conor was hiding out in the Community Center, wishing he had stayed home. Luckily Conor knew that Sam was at his friend's house today.

As Hurricane Nikita raged outside, Conor sat in the corner of a side hallway, emergency lighting offering only minimal illumination. But that was okay because truthfully Conor kind of felt like hiding. For one thing, Conor didn't know how most of the people here would react to his presence. But for another, there had been some tension back when he'd been in one of the large activity rooms. Most of the people had been there, including Jack, which Conor had initially been happy about before he'd picked up on the fact that he was part of whatever was happening in there. So Conor was trying to give him space. The problem was that he couldn't stop thinking about Jack. The man had definitely made an impression, and not just because of how hot he was or because of the fun they'd had in one of the bathroom stalls during the festival. It was really what happened after that was sticking out in Conor's mind. The two men had decided to explore the carnival together, and they had talked and laughed and actually had a great time. Now Conor was worried about him, which meant he liked the guy.

If you're worried, go find him, he thought, and Conor was resolved to do just that. Who cared what anyone else thought about him being there? So Conor stood up, heading back to the activity room with purpose. However, as he turned a corner, he ran into someone - kind of hard too. Stumbling a little, Conor was about to offer an apology when he saw who it was. "Jack!" Conor exclaimed, a bright smile on his face. "I was actually coming to look for you." After a quick look around to ensure they were alone, Conor leaned in, resting his hand gently on Jack's side; it was kind of wild how natural that felt already. "Hey, are you okay?" Conor asked the man. "I was picking up on some weird vibes in there, and...well, I know you were pretty vague about the guy you told me about, but...was he there in the room too?" His hand still on Jack's side, Conor gave it a casual little squeeze, smiling softly at his friend. "You can tell me to fuck off if you want to," Conor said, "but...we could also go somewhere and talk."

Conor was nervous. Although after the storm he was feeling closer to Jack than ever, and even though they sent flirty texts since then, Conor was getting the vibe that something might have changed. He wasn’t worried about losing his friend because truthfully he always felt so close to Jack; it was like the pair of them were meant to be friends, and he wasn’t concerned about losing that. Still, Jack was incredible at sex and kissing and all of that, and Conor would miss that. But if it was because Jack and Teddy were making a go of something real, then Conor was happy for his friend. He wanted Jack to be happy…though yeah, he’d miss the kissing for sure. 

And another reason Conor was concerned was because the last time he’d seen Jack, he’d poured his heart out about Evan. Jack was the first person he’d told about Evan; everyone else who knew had already known from when it happened. And Jack had stuck with him, had supported him, and Conor would forever be grateful. So Conor wanted to show Jack his appreciation, and there were two ways he could think to do that, only one of which would be possible if kissing (and more) was off-limits. Then Conor would have to improvise. 

Walking in Starbucks, Conor looked around for Jack, smiling when he saw him near the counter. “Hey Jacky!” Conor exclaimed, moving toward his friend and hugging him. That felt like it would still be allowed either way. “I missed you,” he added truthfully when he pulled back, his hands on Jack’s shoulders. “Also what’s the verdict on that nickname? I’m trying it out.”

In hindsight, Conor wasn't sure why he had thought this would be a good idea. It wasn't that it had been silly to try and take his new cat for a walk - he saw people with their cats in harnesses on Instagram, taking them all over for adventures. All Conor had wanted was to take Viktor to the park. But he should have harness trained him at home first. That was definitely a pretty big oversight. But now here he was in the park, Viktor in a harness and lying on his side in the grass as if he'd forgotten how to walk. And of course it was a busy day with people all around, everyone stopping to look at the black cat who was totally dominating two adult men. Looking over at Jack, Conor sighed. "On a scale of one to ten, how embarrassed should we be right now?"

Viktor had made it clear that he wasn't moving, so Conor sat down in the grass with him. Naturally that was when the cat suddenly regained the ability to walk, moving over to rub against Conor's knee, purring contently. "I knew you hadn't suddenly gone lame," Conor said to the cat, shaking his head. Oblivious to Conor's tone, Viktor walked over to Jack, rubbing against his leg now too. Jack had been there when Conor had adopted Viktor, so apart from Conor and Sam, Jack was maybe his favorite human. But not even the combined might of Conor and Jack could get Viktor to cooperate. Patting the grass next to him, Conor said, "Have a seat, Jack. We're not going to be doing much walking today unless we carry this son of a bitch." But Conor's voice was full of affection as he said this, reaching out to pet his cat.