You

Dad: I'm working late again and I might not be home until after 5 or 6

Me: ok

Connor nodded as I held my phone in front of him. "So yea, you can come over," I explained as I took my phone back. The both of us decided to hang out in the small sitting area right by the food stand at the movie theater. Connor took another sip of his slushie.

"Does he know?" he asked as he furrowed his eyebrows, keeping his eyes on his drink. "I mean, about.. us?" I shook my head.

"Hey," I took his hand, grabbing his attention and making him look up. "You've met my dad, he's pretty chill, right?"

Connor slumped, "What if he doesn't want me to be with you?"

"He's not gonna think that.."

"Well what if he does?" he sat up a bit and lifted his head. "He's gonna hate me."

I rested my chin on my other hand. "My dad is not gonna hate you. Like I said, you've met him before. He doesn't hate you."

"What if he hates you for being with me?"

"Connor!" I startled him but I kept my voice low, even though no one was around. "Even if he did, I'm still gonna stick by your side like glue. My dad can make me date the son of a doctor and he can say what he wants, but I'm still gonna choose you!"

Connor looked to the side and said nothing, but then he looked back at me. "You're so stubborn."

"I know," I chuckle, earning a small grin from him. "How the hell did you end up with me?"

Connor stood up, "I should be asking you that." He held out his hand and I stood up, not hesitating to grab it.

We left the theater the same way we entered it: Hand in hand.

•••

My back was starting to ache as I struggled with picking the lock on the front door. I could tell Connor was starting to get a little impatient. "Just use the key." He groaned but tried to cover it with a laugh. "You can try it next time."

"Nope. I'm doing this now and I'm gonna do it right." I said as I squinted at the lock. I was determined to pick this lock with only a bobby-pin, and I was not backing down.

After a couple of unsuccessful tries, Connor finally said: "Oh my god just use the fucking key-"

The door unlocked and I swung it open as I turned to Connor with a smug look. "You were saying?" I asked sassily. He just stood there, probably shocked, before biting his lip and stepping inside. I followed him after taking back the bobby pin.

Connor, who was for some reason clearly irritated, plopped himself down on the living room couch. "Hey, what's up?" I asked as I sat next to him, "Is everything okay?"

He turned to me and sighed, "It's nothing much really, it's just that my family has to go skiing with the Harrises." He's talked about the Harrises before, and all he ever said was that they were neighbors and family friends.

"Your neighbors?" I asked. Connor nodded and leaned back. "Aren't they nice?"

"Sure," He shrugged, "They mean well and all that crap, but they're also pretty annoying. You've never met them, so you wouldn't know, but sometimes they make you want to jump off a bridge."

I couldn't help but giggle. "I know you're not related to them, but they sound like those annoying relatives at family reunions."

Connor's eyes widened, "I've always thought of them like that!"

"And then they ask those stupid questions like how school is and if our grades are good or some shit."

"Exactly." He smiled as he related. "Anyway, our families usually go skiing together like every year. If I'm unlucky, it's sometimes twice a year." The topic itself was probably making him cringe since he was slightly clenching his fist.

"Calm down, it doesn't sound that bad," I say, brushing my hand over his fist.

"I fucking hate skiing."

Leaning my head on his shoulder, I said, "I know you do." Connor smiled again at the action and looked to the side, muttering something under his breath.

I swear I could've heard him say something along the lines of "you" or "love."

Holy shit, he probably said 'I love you'

I lifted my head off his shoulder and he quickly turned back to me as if nothing happened.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"I didn't say anything." Connor shrugged and shifted on the couch. He gave me a smug look and dropped hints that he did say something. "All I said was I hated skiing and I stopped talking."

"Bullshit."

"It's true."

"This is just like a couple nights ago," I thought out loud, "C'mon, tell me."

Connor stood up, dropped his hands by his side, and faced me. "I didn't say anything. I just said I hated skiing at that was it."

"Oh come on, you said something along the lines of 'you' and there's no one else here." I was standing up now. Hanging my mouth open, I finally say, "Did you say 'I love you'?" Random thoughts raced through my mind as I said that.

What if he didn't say that? So I'm just gonna make a fool out of myself now? Ah, what the hell, I do that already anyway.

To my surprise, he was nodding his head but he kept on saying "No I didn't, what are you talking about?"

I was smiling and biting my lip at the same time, and Connor was rocking awkwardly on his feet. When I looked up at him again, he sighed. "Yea Y/N, I really fucking love you."

I planned to say something witty, but it lodged in my throat as he stepped closer. "And I may or may not have said that over the phone a couple nights ago." He laughed a little as he nervously scratched the back of his neck, "I just never thought I'd be saying that to someone like you...Goddammit I'm so great at this, aren't I?" Connor's voice was sarcastic at the end.

"I love you too!" I blurted out, beaming at him immediately. He blinked as his eyes widened.

"What?" He gulped. My heart fluttered seeing him so happy and surprised.

"Unlike you, I'm loud and clear." I stepped closer to him so we were almost inches away from each other. "I guess I'm not loud enough."

His hands gripped my shoulders and our foreheads touched. "I heard you," Connor said as his smile grew a little. "How do you love me Y/N?" He chuckled.

"I should be asking you that," I repeated what he said earlier at the movies. "I can list the reasons why I'd walk across legos for you."

Connor laughed, and I could feel his steady breathing against my face. There wasn't an ounce of nervousness or anxiety to it. "That's a bit much, Y/N."

The door suddenly opened, and Connor and I backed away from each other as my dad walked in. "Hey, guys." He greeted, exhausted. "Whatcha do while I was gone? You two were like centimeters away from each other."

"Intense staring contest," Connor answered, his face almost beet red.

"Who won?"

"Connor,"

"Y/N." Connor's answered overlapped mine as my dad gave us weird looks.

"Okay then," His eyes traveled over to Connor, "You're welcome to stay."

"Uh, yea." Connor answered, "But I just remembered that I have to help my parents pack stuff for something, and they'll probably give me hell if I don't show up, so I should probably go." He turned to me. "Can you walk me out?"

I nodded and showed him out the front door. After closing it behind me when we were outside, Connor let out a sigh of embarrassment and anxiety that we both thought was gone.

"I actually do need to get going." Connor turned to me, "I have to pack for-"

"Skiing, yea." I smiled softly. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yea." He nodded as he walked off.

"Connor!?" I called out before he crossed the street.

"Yea?"

"I love you."

His cheeks grew pink and a small smile grew on his face. "I love you too." After he ran across the road, I made my way inside and I saw my dad tiredly rubbing his forehead. It seemed like he couldn't even look at his own food while he was at the table.

"I'm guessing it wasn't the best at work," I said, walking over to the table, "So what's up?"

"Honestly kiddo, it really wasn't good. It wasn't too bad either, but I'm kinda uneasy."

"Nothing's gonna happen, right?"

"I don't know Y/N." He groaned, "But if worse comes to worse, something might happen..."

I stood there stiffly, unsure if I wanted him to finish.

He looked up. "If something does happen, we might move."