Steam (Kleinsen)

Evan

Dear Evan Hansen,

Jared's been staying with me for the past 3 weeks. Things have been great, actually. We've gotten much closer, and wow can he play piano! I mean, I've never heard him, he always has his headphones on when he plays, i just see his fingers fly across the keys amazingly. I found out he's panromantic homosexual, and he's really proud of it. Things between Connor and I are great, too. He visits a lot, usually when Jared's at work in the little pizza spot a few blocks away. I wish they got along better. Oh! Speaking of jobs, I now work at the local coffee shop! I'm so excited about it. Everything's been so great and I'm really happy.

Sincerely, your best and most dearest friend, Me

I closed the tab on my laptop. I decided to print it out later, since I didn't have therapy until later. I set my laptop onto my desk and fell onto my bed. I looked at my cast. Two signatures. Connor's took up the majority of it, with Jared's sort of surrounding Connor's.

I looked up at the glow stars on my ceiling. I smiled widely. I didn't know why, but I was just really happy. I shot a random ice spike and heard a note play. I sat up and say Jared's keyboard on it's stand. I scooted to the edge of the bed and stroked the keys. I couldn't play piano, but I still thought it was cool.

There were a bunch of saved songs on the keyboard, all titled "Insight" then a roman numeral somewhere between one and thirty. Until I came across one song titled "acorn". I reached for the playback button-

"EVAN!" I heard Jared shout. I jumped back, my finger never reaching the button. "Please don't touch my keyboard, Ev." He said, softer than before. "Why? H-Hiding some secret sex s-song I don't know a-about?" I joked. Jared chuckled. "You've been around me for too long, Ev. And no. No sex songs. Just some things I've been working on, don't worry about it."

I tossed the bathbomb plushie at his head, giggling softly. "Sure, Kleinman." I watched Jared fiddle with the keyboard, occasionally brushing his flames away from his glasses. "You know," I spoke up. "I've never actually heard you p-play." I saw Jared freeze. "Well, like I said, I'm working on some things. I don't want anyone to hear them until they're done."

"But I s-saw those files! There a-are at least th-thirty "Insight" ones! Who knows what e-else you have on there!" I said incredulously. "Most of them are cover songs. My "insight" ones are garbage that I composed." This peaked my interest. "And "Acorn"?" I asked. Jared blinked. "An experiment. It's nothing." I sensed his discomfort and decided to leave it at that.

I decided to clear some of the tension. "S-so my mom said m-my cast comes off in around a w-week or so." Jared smiled. "That's great, Ev!" He gave me a hug, our hair swirling and intertwining. Pulling away, i ran my fingers through his flames. Warm but not burning hot. It was really cool. His hair slowly hardened into lava, something much easier to run my fingers through. Jared sighed lightly. I sat behind him and just played with his hair.

"Food's here!" Jared called from the living room. I ran down the stairs and was hit with the scent of bad Chinese takeout that Jared and I loved. "You know this shit is fake?" Jared asked with a mouthful of rice. "Duh." I answered. "But it's n-not that bad." He pointed his chopsticks at me. "Of course not." I smiled and giggled a bit.

I climbed into bed, with Jared on a smaller mattress near the wall. Something my mom helped us with ever since he came to live with us. Jared didn't pack many clothes, so he was just looking through mine for any possible pajamas. "Woah, Evan!" He called out. I looked up to see Jared holding a ukelele with wide eyes. "I didn't know you played ukelele!" He exclaimed.

I giggled lightly and took the instrument, strumming it lightly. "Can you play me a song?" Jared asked sweetly, sitting crisscross on his bed facing me. I laughed at his attempts and gave in. "Okay." I began strumming a few chords to a song called "Baby Brothers". "Jared, b-bare with me: I'm n-not a great singer so j-just try to f-focus on the u-ukelele, okay?"  He just smiled. "I'm sure you sing great, don't worry."

We've crossed these rivers countless times

Left broken bones out on the ice

My anxiety left me for just long enough to forget that Jared was there. I forgot I even existed: I was completely one with the music.

Turnpike signs turn to subway lines

Dolittle days, outlandos nights

What was life? What was time? What was love? I didn't know. I didn't care. I was in my own world, a world where nothing mattered but me and my music.

But we were never done

Cause this is an extension of more than one love

This was a long, long, long time coming

I belted out the words. Or maybe i whispered them. Maybe i didn't say them at all. I was engrossed completely in the now, nothing like I've ever been.

For when the bar's so high you can tell you're beneath it

When you've got archer's eyes but you can't even see it

Then just look, look out, look out for each other

We gotta look, look out, look out for each other

Baby brother

A strum or ten later the song ended. I didn't know when or how. I opened my eyes to see Jared staring at me with his mouth wide open. "Holy shit." Was all he said. "Holy. Fucking Shit." Blush creeped onto my face. I messed up. I knew I did. Why'd I ever think this was a good idea? I just-

"You are amazing, Evan Hansen." I couldn't believe what I heard. "I-I-"

"Don't you dare deny it! You have major talent, bro!" I smiled and blushed more. "I'll sl-sleep on it I-I guess." I said. I yearned to deny it, but I decided against it. I rolled my eyes and turned off the main light. I could still see Jared due to his hair. I laid down onto my bed. "Goodnight, J-Jared." I said. "Goodnight, Evan." He said.

Aaaaaaaa this was such a filler chapter I don't even know anymore. I love soft chapters, they make the angst angsty-er
-Ares