Connected To Him (ManxMan)

Part 1: Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

Homework had never been so hard to complete. Ethan stared at the papers in front of him with a deep frown. On one hand, he wanted to get this work done. He'd experienced first hand how detrimental procrastination could be and did not want to start that up again. On the other hand, he just wanted to spend the afternoon giggling excitedly because of his date tonight.

It was hard for anything to keep Ethan's attention when he was so excited.

Their first date.

The simple thought of it got Ethan giddy again. It was such an exciting prospect and Ethan wanted to share it with somebody, but his options were limited.

Ethan grabbed his phone, scrolling through his contacts and trying to find someone he could tell, someone far enough from the situation that their knowledge wouldn't ruin a thing. But it was impossible. Chris was the only person who knew about their relationship, and Ethan didn't want to gush to Chris about Chris.

Once again, the perils of a secret relationship were making themselves known. Imagining what one would be like was very different from actually experiencing it yourself. Ethan was learning that the hard way. Regardless, Ethan was still immensely happy.

Ethan momentarily gave up on homework and thought of another way to pass his time. In the next few minutes, he was out of his bed and dancing Marianas Trench. Ethan was literally bursting with excitement and dancing was the perfect way to release it. He paid no mind to how he looked, simply throwing his weight around in any way that felt right. It only took one song for his energy to start to deplete, but Ethan kept going. He clearly did not have the stamina for this activity, but he ignored his limits to enjoy himself.

By the time six songs had passed, Ethan was thoroughly out of breath. His chest rose and fell erratically with his breaths and his flushed cheeks were covered in a light layer of sweat. Ethan

wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, grimacing at the liquid he found.

"I really need to workout more." He muttered to himself with a bashful grin. The thought would have ruined his mood before, but not now. Ethan was too excited to feel sad.

With so much of his energy put to use, it was easier for Ethan to focus on homework. And he was glad for it. That underlying inkling of guilt Ethan had every time he ignored such responsibilities would have been distracting while he tried to enjoy Chris's company. By the time Ethan finished his last assignment, he only had half an hour before Chris was set to arrive. And, knowing how punctual Chris was, that time was probably cut in half.

As Ethan expected, the doorbell rang while he was still naked. He had rushed as fast as he could, but he had to shower to remove his 'dance sweat' and lotion was always a must. He hadn't even chosen underwear by the time Chris arrived.

With even more urgency, Ethan just threw an outfit together. The jeans, t-shirt, and flannel weren't the most unique combination but it was the best Ethan could do on such short notice. Finally, after making Chris wait the extra fifteen minutes, Ethan came down the stairs. As usual, Ethan's mom and Chris were in a deep discussion by the time he got downstairs.

"It really is so odd that a major company would make such a decision." Loretta was telling Chris, arms crossed with a thoughtful look on her face. Chris was listening attentively, humming along to Ethan's mother's words.

"If I were the CEO, I wouldn't have sold it. They had an opportunity to grow it independently and sell for much more in a few years." Chris commented, frowning as he thought about the situation.