Months ago, someone prompted a friends-to-lovers AU but then I started thinking about going the other direction. Like a complete 180, lovers-to-friends canon!verse fic. Like…
Oliver pulls away a bit post-finale/diagnosis and explains to Connor that he needs time to think and process and get his balance back. Get back to normal, or his new normal at any rate. And Connor totally understands. He sits there and nods along, makes appropriate noises of sympathy and understanding, offers to tag along to meetings or appointments if Oliver needs. Just, on the whole, Connor is the picture of a supportive boyfriend. But then Oliver delivers the kicker. He doesn’t want a boyfriend. At least, not right now. Not with this. There’s too much right now with this.
“So,” Connor clears his throat, debating the words to use for this. He can barely think over the rushing of his ears and insane desire to grab on to the arm of Oliver’s jacket and never let go. “You’re saying you want to break up?”
Oliver wants to gently remind that We aren’t even officially back together but holds it back. He doesn’t want to open up that Pandora’s Box right now. Instead he says, “No. I’m saying I want to take a break.” Oliver picks at the cardboard sleeve on his coffee cup and wishes he hadn’t gulped it all down right away. He wishes for the distraction of it. “Not just a break from us – from whatever we are – I want to take a break from the whole thing. Dating, going out, just all of it. I need – I need to take a break.”
“Okay. Okay. That sounds good. Smart. That seems like – like a good thing to do.” Connor nods.
And then he just keeps nodding. He can’t stop nodding. Why can’t he stop nodding? Why can’t he think of anything to say? Oh god. The silence between them is stretching. It’s been too long since he last said something and he knows it’s still his turn in the conversation. Oliver’s done. He’s said his piece. Oliver’s said what he wanted to say and now Connor is just sitting across from him, nodding along like an idiot. Say something!
“Can-” Connor coughs to clear his throat and buy a millisecond of time. Now that he’s started, he curses himself for ever opening his mouth. “Can we – I mean – would it be okay if we – not like dating or anything but like being together – or not being together but would it be okay if we kept – like Thorn Birds and dinner and hanging out and–”
Oliver smiles, small and low, as he watches Connor bumble over the words. The confident man with the slick smile is tripping over himself, unsure and unsteady, and Oliver tries not to find it adorable. Who would have ever thought a man like Connor could ever get flustered over a man like him? “Are you asking if we can still be friends?”
“Yeah.” Connor looks up then, grateful for the lifeline, and hopes against hope Oliver agrees.
Published
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