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[actlikeamanfred]

The next few days after the concert are as blissful as they could possibly be.

They absolutely do end up having lazy morning sex (though not until after they've both showered), and Kate makes them delicious breakfast afterwards (once they've put some clothes on), and it's all wonderful. Their texting gets obnoxiously cute, except of course for when it gets really dirty, though sometimes it gets back. Connor spends the night again two days later, and Leo finds that he could really get used to this.

Unfortunately life has other plans, or specifically crime has other plans. Connor ends up working a lot, which eventually leads to Leo falling asleep at his place, but at least he gets to see him again.


And then Leo has lunch plans with Carl, and everything gets turned upside down.

His texts are a bit muted after that, and he's slower to respond. He feels... awkward. Worried. Annoyed at his brother. Slightly guilty. And also just fairly weirded out for a while. It doesn't actually make him miss Connor any less when he's away from him, in fact it kind of has the opposite effect because he's frustrated by himself and by the situation.

Still, he can't not agree to have Connor come over for dinner and video games and hopefully staying the night. He just hopes his awkwardness won't be too obvious.

Comments

[sentbydpd]

Connor found himself thinking about that night a lot, just as he'd said he would. Less for the sexy end of it though, and more for this strange, wonderful idea that wow, he really does have some serious feelings for Leo. Not that they weren't at least a little serious before they'd actually managed a successful date, but this just drove it home that much more.

So when Leo's messages and replies get a little slower and a little more stand-offish, of course he starts to worry. Maybe Leo's having second thoughts, after they'd finally been intimate in person. Or worse, maybe he's gotten so stressed out that he's started to relapse. Connor gnaws on his thumbnail as he reads back through the messages they've sent back and forth in the last couple of weeks, trying to recount what they'd each been doing at the times those were sent. He lingers briefly on the thumbnail of the video Leo had sent him, but he knows better than to start it to watch through again. Not while he's on the clock.

He's a little surprised when Leo invites him to come by for the kind of date that's just staying in and being comfy, but grateful. They'll get to talk about whatever's happening lately. So he agrees as soon as he knows he'll have the evening off, and when he shows up with his overnight bag and lets himself in via the door panel, he almost looks totally calm.

"Hey Kate," he says quietly when she comes to greet him, "could you let Leo know I'm here?" He waits until she's gone to do just that before he heads in and stands at the entrance of the apartment, bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, stranger," he calls quietly when he spots Leo, unable to stop the sweet little smile on his face from spreading.

[actlikeamanfred]

If it helps Connor's worries about relapse or depression, at least Leo's looking pretty well put together. Not as flashy as when they go out on dates, but he's obviously shaved and showered and put on clothes he wouldn't feel embarrassed to go outside in. Which he does when he's high too, but then there are other telltale signs he's not doing well. Now he looks healthy and fine.

Except for that brief moment of hesitation, the slight awkwardness of his smile when he sees Connor. He knows he would feel weird, and he'd tried to prepare to cover it, but doesn't quite manage. He doesn't have as good poker face as Connor does.

At the same time, it's just really nice to see Connor, so the smile is still genuine.

"Hey--" he answers, and he almost quips back 'hey handsome', but it's weird, it’s definitely weird.

[sentbydpd]

Well, Leo looks alright, so that's definitely reassuring. But he still looks a little hesitant, and it sets off some small alarm bells for Connor.

"So, what're you thinking for dinner?" he asks as he crosses the apartment to wrap around Leo as he usually did when Leo looked like he'd be amenable to being touched. "I'm thinking we can start playing one of those RPGs you said you hadn't touched just yet, see how long we can fuck around with side quests before it insists we get on with the story."

[actlikeamanfred]

"Kate's making pasta," he answers, and at least it's easier to just react when Connor comes over, wrapping his arms around him in return.

"And good, you know how to play RPGs," he answers, and his smile comes easier now. This is fine. No need to be awkward about it, right? This is fine.

[sentbydpd]

This is fine and it's good and Connor can almost ignore the awkwardness from the start, and from the past days that Leo wouldn't really talk with him.

Though on that thought, he does end up leaning just a little more heavily against Leo, wrapping around his shoulders and nudging against the top of his head.

"So...what's been happening lately? Keeping busy, I hope."

[actlikeamanfred]

"Yeah, I guess," Leo answers with a sigh. There's definitely another layer to that question. It might have been a normal question if Leo didn't know he's been distant, but Connor is definitely trying to give Leo an opportunity to talk about what's bothering him.

He unwraps himself from Connor, not quite meeting his eyes, but does also take his hand to gently tug him to the couch so they can sit down.

"Just... family stuff," he elaborates without looking at him. Yeah that's vague enough right?

[sentbydpd]

Leo doesn't tend to pull away from him unless either he's overwhelmed, or he's anxious, or debating on whether he should hide something. He tries not to let it worry him too much, taking Leo's hand instead to follow after him and settle into the couch with one foot tucked under the opposite leg.

The vague explanation is...well, it makes sense for how he's acting. Family stuff isn't great. And when your family consists of Carl Manfred and his android, there's gonna be some weirdness.

"Anything I can do?" he asks carefully, letting his hand rest in Leo's grip but not moving more either way.

[actlikeamanfred]

Connor's question takes Leo a little bit aback, that the first thing he asks isn't for information (despite how Connor likes having information) but whether he can make it better. He lets out a soft laugh and shakes his head a bit, then tugs at him to get him to lean against Leo and sit like they usually do, with Connor's arm around him.

"No, it's just... my brother's being stubborn and it's..." Leo sighs and shakes his head a bit. That's really as much as how he can elaborate.

[sentbydpd]

By now, Connor's learned that when it comes to Leo, it's best to see him out of his mental funk before needling for information. Then he'll get as much as he needs, and then some, to be able to proceed. Not everyone needs to be pressured into a confession.

The mention of Leo's brother makes him pause. Has Leo ever actually talked about his brother? Even mentioned having a brother? His records indicate an adoptive sibling, a Caleb Manfred, but the name doesn't pop up until a little later in Leo's life. So Connor is curious.

"I thought your brother wasn't actually...around," he starts carefully, watching Leo with his head at a tilt.

[actlikeamanfred]

"He's not. Well. They're not," he answers. That's really why he hasn't talked about them, because he doesn't interact with them very often. Well, and Connor hasn't asked him about his family, probably because he knows his feelings about his parents are complicated to say the least.

"I have a half-brother, Alex, on my mother's side. He's cool, but he lives down in California," Leo explains, leaning his head against Connor's shoulder. "Then Carl has an adopted son, who I met again the other night and..."

God, how does he even talk about this? He wants so badly to tell Connor, but no.

"He's been keeping this big secret, this huge secret from someone and I know they'll want to know. But he's being stubborn and selfish and I-- gah," Leo cuts off with a gesture of frustration.

[sentbydpd]

Connor listens with a soft frown, nodding some with the new information. He hadn't seen anything about Alex in the records, but he can see why. If he was just a tertiary part of Leo's life, uninvolved with him for the most part, he wouldn't be deemed important enough to keep record of. This Caleb had only rated because he was under the same surname and, at least for a little while, under the same roof.

Curling his fingers around Leo's, Connor perches his chin atop Leo's head and looks off toward the rat cages.

"I'm sure that whatever he's keeping to himself, he has a good reason. Don't worry so much about what he's doing. It's my job to be the snoop here, not yours." He smiles a little at that and tilts his head to get a glimpse of Leo's face. "You could tell me more about your brothers. The one that lives in California doesn't come up in your records som I'm guessing he kept your mom's name?"

[actlikeamanfred]

"Don't snoop on him, okay?" Leo says urgently, pulling back enough to look at Connor with a very serious expression. "I promise I'll tell you about it eventually, but don't... don't look Caleb up or anything. Okay?"

Caleb is most definitely going to blame Leo for bringing up the subject, even if Connor goes and looks him up on his own.

[sentbydpd]

Part of him is of a mind to tease a little bit, to say that Leo making such a big deal put of him not looking into Caleb is only making him want to do so even more. But this really looks serious, if Leo's expression is anything to go by, and he doesn't want to antagonize.

"Alright, I won't look into Caleb if I don't have to. Does the same apply to Alex?"

[actlikeamanfred]

Alright, Caleb is unlikely to be a murder suspect or anything like that that would lead Connor into HAVING to look into him. And hopefully Leo will manage to convince Caleb to talk to Connor before too long. Because this is... really awkward for Leo and refuses to not tell Connor. (As someone who has been kept from a member of his family, Leo wouldn't want to prolong that situation.)

"No, I don't think Alex is keeping any big secrets," Leo answers, relaxing more now Connor has promised, and leaning against him again. "Although if you do, and he is, let me know?" he adds, mostly jokingly. "Maybe I'll find out he has a secret identity or something."

[sentbydpd]

Connor bows his head further to be able to kiss Leo's temple, smiling faintly into his hair.

"Maybe it'd be better for you to not worry about someone else's secrets. Unless they affect you directly it isn't such a big deal, is it?"

[actlikeamanfred]

"Well, I was joking about Alex..." Leo points out with a bit of a pout, not quite appreciating being spoken to like a kid. "The thing with Caleb does affect me though, so I hope he figures it out soon."

[sentbydpd]

"I was referring more to Caleb and his secret. I still think it's his business whether he discloses it in the first place," he argues gently, though the smile fades at the look on Leo's face. He hadn't meant to be patronizing, just thinking that if Leo weren't so focused on someone else's drama it wouldn't stress him out. But Leo knows that, so it's clearly important, or at least making him overly anxious with the possibility that it could be.

[actlikeamanfred]

"Yeah, it's just..." Leo sighs, wondering how much he can say. Hopefully it will all make sense to Connor eventually. "I know the person he's keeping it from and... they'll want to know. And I feel bad for having to keep it from them, you know?"

[sentbydpd]

"Well, is it a good thing or bad that you're sitting on?" he asks quietly, moving so that he can recline and draw Leo down against him, letting him rest against his chest. "If it's going to ruin their life maybe you can at least tell them to brace for it."

[actlikeamanfred]

"It's... good, I think. It has the potential to be very good," he answers, laying his head against Connor's chest and listening to his heart beat. "I wish I could tell you, it would make this easier..." And also in a way way harder.

[sentbydpd]

Connor frowns a little more deeply as he combs his fingers through Leo's hair. He tries to keep his tone light as the rest as he finally asks, "does this have something to do with me?" Because really, the more Leo says, the closer to that conclusion he gets.

[actlikeamanfred]

Leo's a decent liar. Whenever he's sober, whenever he's not too emotionally invested. Unfortunately Connor is good at seeing through lies. And even then, with them leaning together, it would have been hard to miss the way Leo tenses up, betraying himself.

"Fuck.." Leo answers, mostly to himself, as he pushes himself up and away from Connor, running a hand down his face. "I can't tell you, okay?"

[sentbydpd]

Connor follows suit, sitting up and running his hands over Leo's arms, head bowing until his lips are pressed lightly against the side of Leo's neck. "I won't make you tell me. It's up to him whether or not I actually find out, right?"

[actlikeamanfred]

"I guess..." Leo answers, closing his eyes for a second as Connor kisses his neck, then twists to look back at him.

"Give me like, a week? I'll try and talk to him." He thinks Connor should know after all, so at some point he does think it's only fair he can look into it himself.

[sentbydpd]

Connor hums against the side of his neck then leans back when Leo turns around.

"Alright, I'll defer to your judgment," he replies. He'd considered briefly the idea of tacking on a little endearment so that Leo would know they're still ok, but it strikes him as a little weird. Probably not something Leo would appreciate. Or maybe he would but Connor's waited to long and it would only be awkward now. Hm. Maybe over text, he could test it. But that's a thought for later.

"Maybe for right now, we can go do something. It'll help get our minds off this at least for a little while."