Lights {Stollace}

Chapter Three ✦ Stronger

  Lights {Stollace} ✦ Chapter Three ✦ Stronger

  "You always thought that I was stronger. I may have failed, but I have loved you from the start," Fall For You ✦ Secondhand Serenade

✦ Connor ✦

"So, Connor, how was your day today?" Connor's father asked as he ate a spoonful of his dinner. Connor peaked up at him and shrugged, pushing his food around his plate. Travis gave his dad an apologetic look, before nudging Connor with his leg. The younger sibling didn't respond in any way, to which Travis sighed and went back to his food.
Suddenly, Connor's phone rang from his room. He heared the familiar song playing from the speaker, the song he'd set for one person and one person only. He rushed up the stairs and hurriedly pressed the answer button, pressing it to his ear.

  "Will?" he said instantly, an edge to his voice as he awaited for whoever was on the other like to speak.

  "Connor," a familiar voice breathed and Connor felt himself break as he slid down the wall, tears trailing down his face. It was Will. 

  "Will, oh my god," Connor choked out, sobs racking his chest as he tried to keep them down. "I love you. I love you so much. I love you, I love you, I love you." Will didn't respond, so Connor sat up. "Will?"

  "I-I'm here," Will said weakly, his voice shaking. "C-Can you come over?"

  "Of course. I'm heading there right now. Is something wrong?"

  "Everything is wrong," Will whispered, before hanging up. Connor's heart dropped to his stomach as he hurriedly rushed out of his room and into the kitchen, searching for his keys. They were nowhere to be found.

"Where are my-"

"These?" Travis asked, holding up Connor's car and house keys. Connor lunged at him, trying to take them back, but Travis danced out of the way and stuck his tongue out. "We're eating dinner as a family."

"It's Will," Connor spat angrily, frustrated that his brother was deterring him from seeing Will. Travis' playful expression fell as he handed Connor the keys.

"Connor, you're seriously ditching family dinner for your boyfriend?" Hermes asked exasperatedly, before Connor threw him a harsh glare.

"He's been gone for almost a year, damn right I'm ditching a family dinner we can have any other fucking night of the week," Connor snapped, watching as his father raised an eyebrow.

"I don't like your tone," he warned.

"Connor, go. I got you," Travis said, patting Connor on the back as the younger of siblings dashed towards the door. He made way to his car, hurriedly starting the engine and pulling out of the driveway. He almost hit another car coming out, so he took a deep breath, steadied his hands, and drove to Will's apartment. It wasn't a long drive, but it felt like hours to Connor, who could barely even focus on the road, his mind constantly wandering to Will and how he was doing. When he finally got to the apartment, his hands shook as he turned the car off. What was he so afraid of?

  What if Will found someone else? What if Will decided Connor wasn't what he wanted? Fuck, Connor planned on marrying Will. He'd given him his virginity, he waited and waited and waited, because Will was all he wanted. He couldn't just lose him.

  He steadied his breathing. Will would still want him. That's why he called him. It's fine, Connor, everything's fine.

  It wasn't fine.

  "Connor," Apollo breathed out, shocked at the sudden appearance of the brunette.

  "Where's Will?" Connor borderline demanded, his hands shaking furiously, so he shoved them into the pockets of his jeans.

  "Will's here. Just...be careful, Connor."

  "Why?"

  "He's different. The hospital...they didn't treat him right. He's traumatized and broken, okay? He blames me and Hyacinth for almost everything. He loathed being touched. Just...don't be surprised if he doesn't react the way you want him to, okay?" Apollo asked, sighing when Connor's eyes swam with hurt as his face fell. "Be patient."

  "I-I will, I swear," Connor murmured, before gulping as Apollo let him into the house. Connor felt like that fourteen year old kid again.

  'Connor, be careful, okay? Chris is sick, very very sick,' the nurse said, giving a fake smile. Connor frowned.

  'I'm not a child.'

  'Connor,' Travis whispered softly. 'Chris isn't okay. He looks...terrible. Don't...just don't go in there expecting everything to be fine.'

  Connor remembered thinking back to the way he found Chris. A kitchen knife on the bathroom floor in a puddle of blood, the smell of whiskey and metal-

  "Connor?" a soft voice called, pulling Connor out of his thoughts. He looked up and locked eyes with Will, who was standing in a cream colored knitted sweater and black skinny jeans. Connor felt a lump rise in his throat and he blatantly ignored Apollo's warning, walking as fast as he could to Will and grabbing the blonde's hand. He didn't flinch. He just stared at Connor with broken blue eyes, a small smile on his lips. Connor felt Will pull his hand up so that the brunette's hand was resting on his cheek. Tears tracked down Connor's cheeks as he whispered Will's name and pulled them together, holding Will as tightly as he could. 

  "I love you. I love you," Connor choked out, burying his face into Will's shoulder. Will held onto Connor like he'd never get the chance again, his hands fisting Connor's shirt.

  "I love you," Will whispered, sniffling as he pressed his lips to the side of Connor's head.

  "I'll never let them take you again, Will, I swear on everything," Connor promised, pulling away from the hug and cradling Will's face in his hands. Will leaned their foreheads together, his hands resting on Connor's sides.

  "I'll never leave you," Will whispered in reassurance, pressing a kiss to the inside of Connor's wrist. "I promise."

  And they stood there, just like that.