Come Dance with Me - (tags Connor)

[Kian O'Connor]

For the most part Kian had missed the lunch happenings because he had run into Connor and managed to convince him to help him with his audition material and they had spent lunch time in the soundproof practice rooms in the performing arts department. Instead of the horrors that most of the students went through, they had shared their lunches. Kian’s mother didn’t trust the school system to feed her eldest son, so he had a large thermos filled with leftover Irish stew and dumplings, a container of soft herbed cheese and a big hunk of thick homemade bread. He had a brown bottle of rootbeer for a beverage and he was quite happy with his lunch. His mother was generous so there was plenty for both of them especially with the shortbread biscuits for dessert. They got to know each other better and Kian was now especially eager for their date after school.

Everything would have been peachy if they had never had to leave their hideaway, but unfortunately lunch does not last forever and as they emerged from the Performing arts department, they became quickly aware of the traumatic events that had passed them by. Kian was so glad now that he had gotten up the bravery to beg Connor to help him with his lines. They were both safe and it was very hard to release Connor’s hand so that he could go check on Julia while Kian checked on his small group of friends: Patch, Evan, Mike, Brittany and Mal.

When they were finally released it took monumental will power for Kian to continue with his purpose to the dance studio. He probably wouldn’t have gone if Connor was not going to be meeting him there. As it was he dressed in his dance clothes and put all the emotions raised during that confusing day into the dance. They started with the parts that they had been having problems with the week before and then worked on continuity and flow between sections of the choreography. He didn’t allow himself to think about Connor or he might have hurt himself or someone else as there were a lot of jumps and carries. Also he knew the time would go faster if he immersed himself into the routine.

[Connor Pearce]

A date and a school shooting all in one day. Given the current status of his life, Connor wasn’t sure which one was the more unlikely event. He was just glad that Kian had tracked him down beforehand, that he agreed to go through lines (something he only did for the chance to perve a bit more). It was the oddest sensation, when he and the other Irishman left the soundproof rooms, to walk out into the scene of such violence, such pain. He and Kian split up, on promise of seeing each other again in an hour, they each had people they needed to check in with.

And to switch his phone on to a flood of missed calls from his parents. He had to call them, both, reassure them countless times that he was okay, he hadn’t been in any harm, and he just managed to convince them that he didn’t need to come home straight away. He didn’t want to miss his date after all. Something told him he would need the distraction.

Once the calls were done, it was his turn to worry and fret, make his own calls, check in on his own friends. Julia was first, and he never felt so relieved when he heard his best friend’s voice. Which probably explained his minute or five of babbling. He then checked in on everyone else, friend and acquaintance alike, and found out who was hurt, who wasn’t. All the while being completely confused about what exactly happened. Though he managed to find a bit out from a dozen different people. All ranging from a gang shoot out to a prank. So, it wasn’t the easiest thing to put the pieces together.

It was a relief to head to Kian’s dance class, get away from what he could. And the boy could dance. The....admiration...was more than enough to keep Connor’s mind off the shooting, watching quietly from the side so not to bother anyone. He really didn’t want to think about the shooting. It still seemed so unreal to him.

[Kian O'Connor]

Kian almost miss-stepped when he looked over and saw Connor’s beautiful eyes following his form. He managed to catch himself before he was completely off the routine. He had never felt so conscious of his body before or felt he might faint because he forgot to breathe. Oddly enough he danced better than he ever had and his teacher gave him nothing but praise when she brought the class to a close. As she barked out instructions on what to practice until the next class, Kian grabbed a towel to drape around his neck and a bottle of water as he headed toward his date. “Hey…. Are all your friends all right?” he asked as he slipped onto the bench beside Connor and took a long drink of his water, hoping he wouldn’t drip sweat on the other boy.

“I need to go home briefly to shower and change clothing, It should be just us, Mom is still at work and the twins will be at Girl Scouts until five pm,” Kian said glad that meeting the family could be put off for a while. His mom he considered cool, but his younger siblings were demonic in the extreme. Kian was a bit worried about Connor. He looked stunned and Kian was afraid Connor was in shock from the attacks at school. It never even occurred to him that it might be his lycra clad thighs and torso that were leaving his new crush speechless. That only a thin layer of stretch fabric stood between them wasn’t on his mind at all, but if he had thought of it he probably would have passed out as all the blood rushed from his brain to a lower extremity.

[Connor Pearce]

Connor thought Kian was a good dancer, he seemed better than the others of his class. But he knew almost nothing about dancing, all he knew was what he had learnt from watching a few episodes of So You Think You Can Dance, and more repeat viewing of High School Musicals than surely was good for him. So it was good when the teacher backed up his view. At least it meant the other boy was actually talented, he just didn’t seem that way because he was so, so very pretty. And it made him feel a little less of a leering perve.

His mind had started to wander back to the shooting though, and the worry that someone he knew had been hurt, and he didn’t know it yet, was starting to play on him. He almost didn’t notice he had been joined at first, before movement to his side brought him out of his daze and he turned to Kian, forcing a grin so he didn’t seem so stunned and weird.

And the sight only made him more stunned, now realising just how Kian looked, what little clothing he wore. Connor knew he had to get a grip of himself, within hours he was turning into the type of awestruck fool he and Julia liked to tease. So he picked his chin up from the ground and smiled again.

“Sure, no problem. I can come with you, if that’s alright by you. Didn’t feel much like driving, left my car at the school.” Which was partially true, and he also didn’t want to double up on cars again like they had that morning, and waste precious date time. God knows he didn’t have enough date time. It was also a relief to know Kian’s house would be empty. They hadn’t even gone on one date yet, the thought of meeting his family was freaking him out just a little. “You ready to go?”

[Kian O'Connor]

Connor thought Kian was a good dancer, he seemed better than the others of his class. But he knew almost nothing about dancing, all he knew was what he had learnt from watching a few episodes of So You Think You Can Dance, and more repeat viewing of High School Musicals than surely was good for him. So it was good when the teacher backed up his view. At least it meant the other boy was actually talented, he just didn’t seem that way because he was so, so very pretty. And it made him feel a little less of a leering perve.

His mind had started to wander back to the shooting though, and the worry that someone he knew had been hurt, and he didn’t know it yet, was starting to play on him. He almost didn’t notice he had been joined at first, before movement to his side brought him out of his daze and he turned to Kian, forcing a grin so he didn’t seem so stunned and weird.

And the sight only made him more stunned, now realising just how Kian looked, what little clothing he wore. Connor knew he had to get a grip of himself, within hours he was turning into the type of awestruck fool he and Julia liked to tease. So he picked his chin up from the ground and smiled again.

“Sure, no problem. I can come with you, if that’s alright by you. Didn’t feel much like driving, left my car at the school.” Which was partially true, and he also didn’t want to double up on cars again like they had that morning, and waste precious date time. God knows he didn’t have enough date time. It was also a relief to know Kian’s house would be empty. They hadn’t even gone on one date yet, the thought of meeting his family was freaking him out just a little. “You ready to go?”

Kian pulled the towel from his neck onto his head and ruffled it over his curly locks and stood. “Yeah, let’s go,” he said as he grabbed his dance bag and pulled out a hoodie which he pulled out and slipped it over his arms and partially zipped it. He slipped his hand into Connor’s and pulled him up.

“My jeep is outside,” Kian said smiling as they stepped into the sunshine which lit the blonde tips of his curls up like gold floss. The darker roots were damp from sweat which made the contrast even more startling. The door eased shut behind them with a click. He continued on to a bright yellow Renegade Jeep that looked a lot better than its years would indicate. He opened the passenger door and watched Connor approach, thinking the boy looked good enough to eat and he hoped that he would get at least a taste before the end of the evening. He was tempted to lean over and take the taste then, but he didn’t want to scare Connor by rushing things.

Once his date was firmly seated, Kian smiled, somehow conveying just with the stretching of his lips that he really wanted to kiss him, but he was being patient only for Connor. Getting in the driver’s seat, Kian turned on the ignition and pulled out as soon as it was clear. It was the perfect day for a drive and so he didn’t resent the time it took to get to his house in El Segundo. A siren wailed and he tensed. Once it passed he looked Connor. “You never told me if you got a hold of your friends today?” he asked and pulled into the driveway of a rather modest looking family home. It was clear Kian’s family were not part of the society elite of Los Angeles. Kian jumped out and let Connor out. “Julia? Right? Is she okay?” he asked as he led him inside.

[Connor Pearce]

Connor decided it was a very good idea to leave his car at school. Even if he wasn’t sure how he would get to school the next day. He could always try talking his parents into a lift, he figured. He grinned as Kian opened the door for him, far from used to it. It felt odd, but not exactly a bad way. Just different.

His nerves would normally be getting the best of him by now, but it seemed that the day’s events were enough to keep him distracted, enough to make him forget that he would normally be a nervous wreck on a date, especially with a cute, fellow Irishman who seemed really, really interested in him. At least if the way Kian was looking at him was anything to go by. He couldn’t work out exactly how the other male was looking at him. But, after a brief bit of consideration, he decided he really liked it.

He let his thoughts wander during the short ride, settling back into his seat, his gaze lingering outside. He was snapped out of his dreaming though when he realised the car had stopped, outside a almost plain looking house. Connor immediately liked it. He was never one to show off his parent’s money, he preferred normalcy. And the house definitely looked normal.

“Yeah, Julia’s good. Escaped unharmed. Better than good actually, she said something about a guy.” Connor mused, before grinning. “Her and I, well, we don’t...um...exactly date often.” he confessed with a sheepish grin, before trying to change the subject. “This is a really nice place, Kian.”

[Kian O'Connor]

“Really? I always thought it was a little ‘Leave it to Beaverish’ but since that would make me Wally I suppose I could leave that notion behind. Having two female giggling Beavers would just be too cruel to the world,” Kian said with a roll of his eyes.

“Actually… this is my first date since I accepted that I am gay, before that it was always with girls and I never felt this nervous on any of those.” He ran his fingers through his short curls and grinned sheepishly. He was pretty good at hiding nerves fortunately. Otherwise he would never make it as an actor.

Kian led him through a sparkling white kitchen that had green tiles with Celtic knot patterns running parallel to the marble counters. The tiles alternated mythic beasts with ‘plain’ knotwork. There was a center island that had a butcher block surface and was frequently the scene of many family cooperative dinners. Kian figured that he probably had the most picture perfect family in Los Angeles. They continued though a comfortable dining room to a hall where they paused and Connor was shown the family through pictures on the wall. “That’s my mom and dad the Christmas before last and these two seemingly adorable girls are Meghan and Maeve… identical and very good at hiding how evil they are.” They came to a staircase and he turned to go up it.

At the top he pointed out the bathroom, “In case you need it,” he said off-handedly and went to the end of the hall and pulled out a key to unlock the door and ushered Connor into a bedroom that was wall to wall movie posters with quite a few musical posters mixed in. There was also a large cork board with glossies of Kian in all the productions he had been in and some magazine tear outs of the Levi’s ads he had shot.

Kian waved toward the bed which resembled the aftermath of an earthquake revealing he was a restless sleeper. “Have a seat. Sorry about the mess… I had no idea I would have significant company today,” he said with a laugh. Patch or Evan possibly, but he didn’t care if they knew he was a slob.

[Connor Pearce]

It was a relief to find out that he was Kian’s first, relatively speaking. He wasn’t the only one new at this. Though the other male seemed far from nervous. Connor guessed he was alone in that. So he tried not to make it too obvious that he was a completely nervous teenager who had no idea how to act on a date, especially a date with a cute boy. Just play it cool, he told himself. Now he just had to figure out how to play it cool. He was in trouble. He was so going to have to call Julia tonight after the date. Not that he thought his best friend was much more educated on dating than him. But, still, that’s what friends were for.

He liked Kian’s house, seemed like something from one of those family shows on tv. He really liked those shows. Sure, they were kind of corny, with a moral at the end of each episode, but that was exactly how he liked it. He grinned at the family portraits, laughing at Kian’s comments on his smiling sisters. “Not that good. You can tell, there’s something hiding behind their grins.” he smirked as he continued to follow him up the stairs.

And then he entered a room he wasn’t quite expecting to go into yet. Well, that wasn’t hard to get into Kian’s room, Connor thought to himself with a grin. He wasn’t bothered by the mess. It was odd that way. He wasn’t exactly a neat freak, but everything in his room was tidy and ordered, everything had its place. But when it come to other people and their messes, he never noticed it.

He took a seat on the bed, his eyes moving over the different posters. At least he and Kian shared the same taste in some things, he had something to fall back on if he was at a loss for words some time during the evening. Which was likely, if he continued to keep looking at the cute guy.

It was only now he realised, properly, that he was in Kian’s room, on his bed, and Connor cleared his throat a little awkwardly. “So, uh, how long have you been dancing? You were amazing.”

[Kian O'Connor]

Occasionally glancing over to delight in the view of Connor on his bed, Kian was really glad he didn’t have really dorky bedding on at the moment. He had green and blue plaid sheets and a green/blue reversible comforter. He had rarely used the comforter, but it looked pretty cool so he gave in on his mother insisting he needed one. Connor looked darkly handsome and he was terribly tempted to throw himself on the bed beside him. This thought gave him a throbbing feeling in his groin, so he turned away to pull out clothing, mainly to hide any physical hints of his thoughts but also because he thought he should change in the bathroom after he showered. He wasn’t quite ready to parade around the house naked in front of Connor yet.

“I started dancing from birth… well both my parents loved to dance so they would twirl around the room with me in their arms. Then I graduated to dancing on their feet. They took me to dance lessons when I was four. I really had no chance from that point on. Every time my dad suggested soccer my dance teacher would collapse in tears, there aren’t many little boys who like to dance and are actually decent at it. Since I was a lot more likely to be watching Rogers and Hammersteins Cinderella rather than GI Joe, Dad eventually bowed to the inevitable and encouraged me to follow my talent,” Kian said as he found his best black jeans, a pair of clean lilac Calvin Kleins and a dark purple button up shirt.

“I’ll only be a few minutes, I just shake my hair, no blow drying.” In fact styling only gave him a rather frightening afro, so he avoided it like the plague.

[Connor Pearce]

Kian’s parents seemed really good that way, really understanding, and it made Connor wish that his own were a little more so. Not that they were overbearing, nothing like that. His parents were great, always supported him with anything he wanted to do. They were the ones who had surprised him with a dark room after all, the ones who enrolled him in whatever photography class he wanted, bought any camera he wanted. And also enrolled him in tap class when he was nine and going through a dance phase. It lasted two months. Just a little shorter than his archery, and a little longer than his piano lessons. His folks were probably just relieved that he stuck with something for once.

His mother was easily the most open of his two parents. From the moment he had told them he was gay, and it took months to work up the nerve, she hadn’t been anything other than understanding. And it took seemingly no effort from her to switch about asking if there were any girls he liked to asking about boys. It was just his father who was finding it harder to swallow. He was coming around, slowly, but Connor couldn’t be annoyed with him for struggling with the idea. His old man did come from a very traditional, large Irish family after all, where the idea was to get married and have as many kids as possible, the fact that Connor was an only child being a very rare occurrence. He had at least two dozen cousins to make up for that.

He wasn’t thinking about that now. He was actually thinking about how underdressed he was, seeing Kian grab those clothes, those really nice clothes to change into, while he remained in the clothes he had worn to school. Perhaps he should have rushed home quickly before coming to the dance class. Well, too late to worry about that now, and the other male didn’t seem to mind so much. He would just have to try to dress better their next date. And he was already thinking about a second date before they started the first. Pretty boys were definitely his weakness.

“I liked GI Joe. My father didn’t quite realise it was because I liked having a doll though.” Connor confessed with a laugh. “But, it’s good that he encouraged you, you’re really talented. My parents do the same with me for photography, I might have given it up.” He shifted a little where he sat on the bed. “Ah, want me to wait here, while you shower?”