MHA #16 - Thursday Morning

[itsananomaly]

Cutter wasn’t entirely sure what was happening this week, especially after yesterday and talking with Connor.

He had also not had much sleep from the previous night so he had been up really early trying to at least get some work done.

Even though he was reasonably sure he was just going to end up cancelling tomorrow’s class, he decided to at least start work on a lesson plan. He figured at least he would have something to work on when he got back from spring break but he was finding that even trying to get started on that was proving to be a distraction and that he couldn’t even concentrate on the books that he had opened around him.

[expecting one but can be open!]

Comments

[anomaly_research_nerd]

This was probably a mistake, but later that morning, Connor had headed out to J,GOB and then The Perk. He returned a little later with two large coffees and a box of doughnuts in tow. And rather than heading back to his apartment to hole up and try and just ignore whatever was going on, he headed across the hall. Connor told himself that he was just checking in on his friend, making sure he was ok, that was totally normal right? So, with hands a little full, he gave a quick tap on Cutter's door with his foot and waited.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter blinked a little at the sound of the knock from the door but was grateful for the excuse to avoid doing any work, not that he really need an excuse to avoid working.

He opened the door, “Connor…um, hey,” he started to feel himself going a little red already, “um…come in,”

This was off to a great start wasn’t it?

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Hey, Prof... Cutter..." Connor said with a small smile Was his face hot? It felt hot. Maybe it was just the heat in the apartment.

He lifted the box of doughnuts with the cup holder balanced on top. "Just wanted to stop by... make sure you were doing ok and all." And bringing over coffee and doughnuts was totally normal right? Just a friend checking in on another friend. Totally normal!

[itsananomaly]

It was totally normal.

“Er - um thank you,” Cutter managed to stammer and went even redder, he stepped back to let Connor in the apartment.

“I’m …the last few days have been a lot,” he finally admitted. He paused, “how …um how about you?” he asked awkwardly.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Yeah it's.... been different, that's for sure," Connor admitted as he stepped in. "I... I can head out if ya want. Don't have to stay long... just .... I wanted to make sure you were doing alright and everything. Like, genuinely. I know it's been a bit rough for ya back home lately with the team and all." Mostly genuine with a little edge of island shenanigans as added motivation perhaps.

[itsananomaly]

“I’ve been trying to get a head start on lesson plans, it’s not going well at all,” Cutter admitted as he pointed to the mess that was currently his coffee table, “I could use a bit of distraction,” and then he realised how that sounded and went bright red, “I mean, um …it was nice of you to stop by,” he stammered.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Hey, I brought the grub, so that is a start right?" Connor said with a small grin. "Coffee and doughnuts makes everything better, maybe even lesson plans?"

[itsananomaly]

Cutter returned the grin, “well, it might help me concentrate enough to write something, at this point I’m thinking I’m just going to cancel class tomorrow,” he admitted.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Well, canceling a class isn't the end of the world eh?" Connors said with a slight wink. It wasn't like canceling or not showing up was out in the left field for Cutter and all. "Got that trip coming up that ya gotta plan for, too and all. Might be a little more interesting to focus on than lesson plans," Connor reasoned as he set the box of doughnuts down

[itsananomaly]

Cutter laughed at that and felt his face go even redder, "that's true, the university eventually gave up on me turning up to classes and I still kept my job," he considered, "the trip should be nice though," there was a brief hesitation, "um ... speaking of, did you want to er go with me again?" and oh look at that the floor was very fascinating again.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Oh, yeah you do get a plus one don't you?" Connor said thoughtfully. "Yeah, sure... the trip was pretty epic last time. If... if you are sure you don't mind me tagging along."..." Was Connor doing a good job sounding nonchalant? Because he was trying to as he opened the box and spent more time than he probably needed to find a doughnut.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter nodded, sneaking a quick glance at Connor, "I don't mind," he tried to assure him, "it was nice, getting to spend more time with you on the trip," it should not have been possible for him to turn that red.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Yeah, that was nice..." Connor shifted his eyes away from Cutter for a moment and tugged at the collar of his shirt slightly. Was it hot in here or was it just him? "And I think..." he offered, glancing back over, "ya deserve a bit of a vacation after all that has gone on. Anomalies, trouble with the team, near-death experiences.... I'd say you've earned the time off for sure."

[itsananomaly]

It was starting to get a little warm wasn't it?"

Cutter shifted a bit as he tried to focus on the conversation at hand, rather than how incredibly attractive Connor was but he was failing rather bad at that as he kept staring up at him.

"I think both of us need a break," Cutter admitted, "based on what you've told me about your future, it sounds like you've had a rough go of it as well,"

That was just a bit of an understatement Cutter.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Yeah.... just a bit there. And it didn't help that it was at that moment... with things as they were, that Connor suddenly found himself thinking about how attractive Cutter was. Like, he always had kinda found him good-looking, in a rugged sort of way. But now... there was more to it. Somehow. And then bringing up everything that had happened... would.. or could happen... it was doing things to Connor's brain he wasn't quite expecting.

"Aye... break sounds really... really good," Connor finally replied, forgetting about that doughnut, and the coffee that was probably starting to go a bit cold by now.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter had actually forgotten that Connor had brought coffee over, especially since he seemed to be alternating between staring at the floor and staring up at Connor.

“…” Cutter really had to remember that words were a thing, “mmm…” no that wasn’t a coherent sentence at all, “er … um, yes really, really good,”

Close enough.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Cutter was remembering a very specific conversation now about saying he could kiss Connor for believing him when no one else seemed to about Claudia and now he was wondering what that would be like and oh … it was really, really hot in the apartment wasn’t it?

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Lucky... unlucky... hard to tell... for Cutter, Connor was a bit too lost in his own thoughts to notice the fumbling for words. And those thoughts had also landed, briefly, on that same conversation, only to be replaced by that feeling he had had when he lost Cutter what seemed so long ago.

There was a lot... really... he had never gotten to say to Cutter. And the realization he didn't want it to happen again, that he couldn't let it happen again, hit him in that moment.

"Could always call off the lesson plans.... forget the class... and start getting ready for the trip early."

[itsananomaly]

Cutter raised an eyebrow at that, intrigued at the suggestion, "oh?" he managed to grin shyly at Connor, "getting ready for the trip early does sound nice," there was a slight awkward pause, "what did ... you ... uh ... have in mind?"

He was a bit out of practice here, he was bound to be awkward considering his last two relationships had been Helen and Claudia and both had ended not well.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

What, Connor? Awkward Connor being the less-awkward one in a room? Considering HIS past experience, with Abby, and Caroline, and.... well, anyone else... it might end up being a bit of 'the blind leading the blind' here.

"Well, could always start here... see where it goes..." Connor said with a shy yet also slightly playful grin as a sudden surge of confidence hit him. And he leaned in towards Cutter slowly, going in for a kiss, half expecting him to pull away and half hoping he didn't.

[itsananomaly]

“I do like the sound of that,” Cutter managed with a faint grin.

There was a very brief moment of hesitation where Cutter couldn’t actually believe that this was about to happen and he considered how weird this could potentially get for his Connor but it wasn’t long at all before he soon found himself leaning in to meet that kiss.

After how he had been feeling the last two couple of days, this felt nice .. it felt right, even if maybe slightly awkward as well.

There was plenty of time to get better at kissing right?

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Plenty of time. And Connor was going to need a little time just then to process this and to realize Cutter wasn't pulling away. In fact he was kissing him back...and he wasn't all that bad at it either.

When he did finally pull back a little, there was a brief moment where Connor wanted to look away. But he didn't. He looked at Cutter and smiled slightly.

"That was...." he paused trying to make his brain work. "Really nice."

[itsananomaly]

Cutter returned that smile, as reluctant as he had been for the kiss to stop, “it was really nice … it’s been, well … it’s been a while,” he admitted, since that day when everything changed in the timeline and Claudia disappeared, “but that was … it was ….” his voice trailed off as he tried to put in words how he felt, which had never been his strong suit.

“I liked that,” he said as he felt himself start to go rather red again. "I ... I liked that, a lot," he felt himself start to redden again.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Good to hear, cuz that makes two of us" Connor said with a sly grin, feeling just as reluctant about that as well. "Don't see any reason to stop... unless you... you want to..." he said, the flush on his cheeks deepening as he gave a nod toward the couch.

This was definitely not the place he had ever thought he would be... but honestly? He couldn't really find anything to complain about. It was a little odd, awkward even, but still felt right all the same, and Connor gave a small, hopefully reassuring grin, to Cutter as he waited to see what he would do.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter was going even redder now, “I don’t want to stop,” he assured him as he glanced back towards the couch and then back at Connor with a shy grin, at least he’d managed to move all his papers and books off the couch before Connor had arrived.

He had never thought he’d ever be in this position either.

“I’d … I’d like to continue," he managed to stammer.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

"Well, let's not dilly-dally then," Connor said with a smirk as he managed to pull himself away enough to take a step back and towards the couch.

With a glance over his shoulder to see if Cutter was coming, Connor did something he hardly ever had done, even around Cutter. He started pulling off the fingerless gloves he almost always wore, and dropped them on the edge of the couch.

"You coming?" he asked with a playful grin.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter had been a little distracted, watching Connor taking off his gloves and he blinked a bit when he realised Connor was speaking.

“Right - er I’m coming,” He blushed and looked a little sheepish, as he quickly walked over to Connor, still feeling a little awkward.

It had really been a long time since he had done anything like this.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor couldn't help but grin a little. Cutter actually looked a little cute all flustered and awkward like that. The red flush only helped the look along, and he was certainly seeing a good bit of that, this morning especially. It was a nice change... to not be the absolute awkward disaster one for a change... Cutter was nice...this... this all was nice.

He gave Cutter a grin as he walked over and lightly patted the couch cushion. For a moment, his brain was still trying to fire fully but then he finally found his words again.

"You got this. It's just me after all eh?" he said with a small chuckle, trying to help Cutter relax a little... and maybe to do the same for himself a little as well.

[itsananomaly]

“Right,” Cutter took a deep breath and went to sit down on the couch.

It was fine, he could do this and besides it was Connor … well, not his Connor exactly but it felt nice and right and after everything this was where he wanted to be.

He smiled at Connor, “this is …nice,” he tried to think of something to say but his brain still seemed to have trouble processing words, “this is really nice,”

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor returned the smile as a thought crossed his mind that was fairly comforting really, and he hoped Cutter would feel the same. The realization that whatever was going on, this wasn't making them do anything. It was just kinda... ya know... helping them along a bit. And words were overrated right now really. And so with that thought in mind, and a slight nod, Connor shifted on the couch and leaned in closer again.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter did feel the same way, that when he had told his Connor that he could kiss him … he felt that perhaps the desire had always been there, he just had never acted on it, the whole thing with Helen and then with Claudia had been a mess but Connor understood him and that thought comforted him as he leaned in to meet that kiss.

He was rather relieved that they didn’t have to worry about words now, he could just focus on kissing Connor, which he found he really quite liked doing.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

It was nice. No anomalies. No monsters or dinosaurs. No team. No, anything but the two of them. It was nice... perfect even.

But one thought did cross Connor's mind in that moment as he lost himself in that kiss for a moment. Well, two things, really. One was to make a mental note to ask Cutter sometime what that cologne was he had been wearing recently. Two was just a sudden realization that he might have been once again oblivious to something that had been right there, just under the surface.

[itsananomaly]

Cutter had quite forgotten what this was like, his last kiss had been with Claudia before she disappeared but Connor was here ... he was very real and also not disappearing on him.

He was content to lean back and enjoy this kiss, wanting to keep it going for as long as it was possible.

[anomaly_research_nerd]

Connor was definitely in no rush to end this. He would be quite content to sit here, on the couch, with Cutter. Just like this. For as long as he could. There would be absolutely no complaints from him. In fact, Connor realized he could really get used to this.