Chapter 103 - 102. US - Growing Apart

Sitting in the car next to Greg, Connor was silent. His head was turned to the window where the nocturnal cityscape passed by. He quickly recognized his neighborhood and when the car slowed down and stopped in front of the house, an awkward silence reigned in the passenger compartment.

Connor peeked at Greg who was waiting for him to come down and the man's voice broke the silence.

"You don't have to be overly self-conscious around me. You clearly rejected me I don't intend to burden you, be petty or suddenly turn into a bastard who will make you uncomfortable.

"Y-yeah."

"I'll bring your car back later so you can have it tomorrow morning."

"Oh no, you don't have to bother with that. I can pick it up myself tomorrow."

"No, I'll do it. You left it there it's because I forced you to, it's the least I can do."

"You did it to save me from driving drunk. I should thank you, not force you to play designated driver at two in the morning.

"I don't mind. Here, give me the keys. I'll park it alongside the sidewalk and drop the key in the mailbox for you to find it.

"Y-yeah. Thanks." Silence fell for a moment and Connor continued to feel his heart throbbing at the thought of getting out of the car.

He didn't understand why. He had rejected Greg. He had no reason to feel that way. When the man had confessed, Connor thought he had misheard. Unfortunately, it was real. The teenager had been silent for a long time.

The scorching hot atmosphere that made his body sweat a few moments ago had become as cold as it was uncomfortable.

Connor had put an end to it by refusing with a contrite air the advances of the man. Sure, he enjoy being around Greg, and he was his first crush but it was far from being the same feelings the man had for him.

When he left for the bar tonight, he intended to kiss as many men as he could and, maybe, have a little more fun below the belt. Not exactly, the set-up for committing to a relationship.

He didn't want to give the man hope when he had only landed on his bed because his plan A had fallen through. Despite everything, Connor had been touched by Greg's words. More than he let him know. The boy had no idea the scientist harbored such feelings towards him. But that was it. Being touched didn't mean he felt the same.

Connor looked one last time at the man who gave him a smile that lit up his eyes despite everything and again, the teenager's heart throbbed.

"Connor. Please, don't think too much of it or I'll feel bad."

"But…"

He stopped not knowing what to say and Greg sighed. The man's hands clenched around the steering wheel.

"I won't come to the cafe anymore. I'll let you have your moment alone with your friend. I would feel bad if every time you see me from now on you just feel uncomfortable and uneasy."

"Y-Yes. That's right. Maybe it's… Better." Connor's heart squeezed hard and the teen had to swallow several times to dispel the lump that had suddenly formed and made him want to burst into tears. Why would he act like that? That's what he wanted. He turned to the door and opened it before walking out without looking back.

Connor closed the house's door behind him and slid down to the floor before burying his head between his knees. He stayed like that for a moment, waiting for the feeling in his chest to disappear when he heard a slight click sound and a voice whispered to him.

"Connor?" Maria blinked, surprised to see her son in this position. "What's going on? Did something happen? Are you hurt?" The woman walked over to her son and bent down to hug him as the young man shook his head to deny her last question.

Aside from Anthony still being openly affectionate with her, she had few moments when her soon-to-be-adult sons were vulnerable in front of her.

She ran her hand down his back gently in a comforting gesture and remained silent for a while. After a moment Connor lifted his head and leaned it against the door before speaking in a low voice.

"I've been confessed to. But I rejected him."

"Him?"

"Oh, yes… I guess I'm gay." He chuckled waiting for the reaction of his mother who just ran her fingers through his hair to arrange a curl.

"And why are you on the ground? Do you regret rejecting him?"

"No! It was the right thing to do. I mean, I just wanted to have fun and… I never thought Greg liked me."

Maria's face remained impassive as she heard the name of the person who confessed to Connor. She knew that Glen and Connor spent some time each week with her husband's protege. The woman knew the man and his background very well. She knew he was a good person and there wasn't anything bad to say about him.

Plus, she'd had the opportunity to join them once or twice and Maria had noticed, both the flirtatious looks from her son and the blatant affection in the man's eyes.

"What is the problem then? Did he tell you something harsh when you reject him?"

"No, he has been so nice… that it hurts Mum. He didn't even get angry when I told him that I didn't feel the same and that I preferred to have fun. I'm pretty sure that I hurt his feelings but I'm the one moping around. Why do I feel this way? I don't get me."

The woman bit her lip and watched Connor plop his head back between his knees. She stayed a moment to keep her son company.

Even though she could guess what put the boy in this state, she knew that it wasn't her place to tell him. It was something he had to sort out alone.

Mother and son separated to go to bed. Maria closed her bedroom door and walked over to the bed, which creaked under her weight. Laurent moaned and opened his arms to welcome his wife who leaned against him and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"You took a while. Is everything okay?"

"Yes?"

"You don't sound very sure"

Maria sighed and snuggled in her husband's arms.

"I think Connor is about to have his first love."

"Oh. It's a great thing! Why do you sound so concerned?"

"Because he is falling but… It might be a bit complicated."

"Hmm? Why? Does she have a boyfriend or something like that?"

"No. It's not a she but a he and… He is your assistant."

Laurent froze. He loosened his embrace and straightened up to switch on the bedside lamp before looking at his wife.

"What do you mean 'my assistant'? Are you talking about Greg? Greg Douglas?"

"Yes. He confessed to Connor tonight and our unruly boy rejected him pretty badly. But I can already tell that Connor likes the man. They might not feel the same now but it's just a matter of time before it happens."

Laurent didn't react. The man stared blankly, deep in thought.

"Are you mad?"

"Surprisingly, I'm not. I thought I would be but not. I can't bring myself to be mad at him. I know Greg. I mean, I'm the one who spotted him and allowed him to continue his medical studies when his grandfather who was his only family died. I know he's a good man and that's why I'm feeling conflictual."

"Why?" Maria asked as she resumed her place in his arms.

"Because there is quite a big gap between them. Also, if he confessed, it means that he doesn't intend to just be a fling for Connor. I have the feeling that if our boy allows him, Greg will make sure to be not only his first but also his last love."

"And that's bad?"

"Not at all," the man sighed as he turned off the lamp. "But as you said our boy is pretty unruly. I can already tell that both of them will be hurt in the process."

________

After a three-week break from experimenting with his sexuality, Connor decided it was time to put aside the discomfort he'd been feeling since the night he dumped Greg and get back to looking for some fun.

Mai was already there, the semester was about to end and with it his high school life. He was going to go to the WIA academy to start his training as an agent and Glen will enter Red Creek college for Werewolves. Now was the time to have fun.

This time the young man had decided to have a backup to avoid any bad situation like the last time.

Connor slammed the car door and trotted a smile on his face toward the entrance to the bar he had decided to go to tonight. A few yards behind him, Glen was shuffling, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Why do I have to be your backup? You have a bunch of friends!" growled the werewolf.

"Because you're my brother!" retorted the brown-haired boy with a grin.

"You're always pulling out the brotherhood card when it comes to a crappy situation like that."

"Stop nagging. I'm sure you'll have fun as well!"

"As if!"

"I bet you'll find a pretty boy to tame you. You like blondes, right?

Glen raised his middle finger in response and Connor snorted before opening the door. A flood of music flooded their ears. The place looked more like a club than a bar. The deafening music assaulted their ears and Connor saw Glen's expression go from annoyed to utterly pissed off in a split second.

For a werewolf, this kind of noisy place was a bit of torture. The alpha was going to spend the rest of the evening controlling his hearing so as not to let the din pierce his eardrums.

Glen glared at Connor and the latter replied with a sheepish smile before rushing inside. The youngster immediately spotted the bar in front of which he sat before grabbing the cocktail menu, a gluttonous glint in his eye. Once his order was placed, he decided to look around to see what kind of men were present this evening.

His first attempt at a similar place had left him with a bitter memory and he didn't want to come across the same kind of a creepy asshole. Glass in hand, he turned to look around the room.

The atmosphere was different from the bar where he had his debut. He could see that the people who came tonight had only one thing on their minds. Find a partner to spend the night with.

Connor sipped cheerfully and his gaze fell on Glen who had a hard time fending off the advances of a man who was already starting to have greedy hands.

The light brown-haired boy scoffed and continued his observation. His eyes fell on a couple intensely making out on one of the chairs in the VIP area that he could see from where he was.

"Wow, wild!" He commented with a chuckle before freezing.

When the man who was sitting on his partner's legs moved his head to change position and deepen their kiss, Connor could see the face of the man he recognized at a glance. The teenager stared at the couple as Greg's tongue slid into the man's mouth, grabbing his hips and pressing him against his lower body.

Connor looked away and his heart sank. He put the glass on the counter and got up to join Glen, who gave him a desperate look.

"Too bad! He's coming with me!" He said to Glen's wooer, grabbing his friend by the arm and dragging him out.

Once the door closed behind them, Connor strode back to their car and left the werewolf behind. He was angry and the lump in his throat that had taken him days to clear had returned. He gritted his teeth to hold back the tears that threatened to slip and picked up the pace one more time.

He took out his keys and stomped along as Glen walked a good distance behind him wondering what the hell had made him change his mood so badly. As he thought that, the door opened with a bang and two men came out. The one shorter stumbled and his partner caught him before lifting him by putting his hands under his buttocks. The shorter man wrapped his legs around the man and started to kiss him passionately.

Glen watched Greg walk away with his conquest for the evening then returned to the car where Connor was waiting.

"Connor…"

"I'm not in the mood."

The alpha didn't push his luck He knew his best friend had dismissed the man's confession some time ago. Just like he knew that Connor was falling for Greg even though he was doing everything to deny it.

_______

Connor turned on the faucet and the cold water ran over him before gradually warming up. The hotel room was cheap, and now his hole and his hips hurt like hell. His partner had already dressed before he caught his breath and he was alone.

The boy washed himself trying to ignore the pain in his lower body. He hadn't told the man he had flirted with that it was his first time and the latter had barely prepared him before thrusting his bulging cock inside him. Connor could only grit his teeth and take in the pain because it was too late to say anything. He was the one who came onto the man first.

The boy turned off the water and grabbed the bathrobe that at least gave off a pleasant smell. He put it on and stood in front of the mirror before running his hand over it to remove the fog. His gaze met his reflection and a red circle on his skin reminded him that he was no longer a virgin. That's it.

He had reached the goal of his experiments. He had his fun. Except that it wasn't fun at all. It was painful. His heart was throbbing and his body was aching everywhere. Suddenly, tears began to stream down the young man's cheeks and the next moment he collapsed completely.

"Fuck!" He sniffled, trying to brush away the tears that were rolling down his cheeks.. "Why was I so dumb? I should have let him be my first."