It feels strange being in Connor's room without Connor himself there. However, unlike when Evan first stepped foot into this room, when it had been as lifeless as Connor admitted he'd felt back then, it's now bursting with personality. There are rough sketches strewn about Connor's desk, pencils scattered everywhere and sat on his shelves are the variety of knick-knacks he's acquired over the last year, including the harmonica Zoe bought him as a gag gift at Christmas. Connor had decided the best revenge would be to learn how to play it, simply so he could perform songs Zoe hated on it.

He's actually got pretty good.

However, Evan's favourite part of Connor's room by far, is the wall that's now covered with photos. It's similar to Zoe's but whereas hers are primarily selfies mixed in with some from her childhood, the majority of Connor's photos are just from the past year, circling around almost like a visual time-line. They're all taken with the polaroid camera Cynthia had bought him upon his return from hospital and so beneath each picture is a date, not that Evan really needs them. This is maybe the first school year he's not wanted to write off, delete from his mind, and so it's like his brain has overcompensated with how many memories he now treasures. With a gentle smile, Evan trails his gaze along each photo in turn.

He starts on Halloween; one of the first pictures Connor had taken with his new camera. Rather than go through the stress of finding a last-minute costume he decided to help everyone else. Of course, help was a term Evan used loosely since instead of offering constructive opinions, he'd mostly spent their 'dress run' jibing Jared about his bright red underwear.

Which, well, when Evan himself saw Jared's Robin costume on he'd been incredibly glad most of his face had been hidden beneath a Batman cowl.

The photo is of him, Jared, Zoe and Alana posing in their costumes. While Evan and Jared don't actually look so bad, especially with Jared striking the traditional hero pose and Evan 'broodily' folding his arms, they are undoubtedly beaten by the girls. Running with the DC theme, they'd gone as Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. It had been quick thinking on Alana's part since Zoe had been initially convinced they should go as ketchup and mustard.

At least Alana still got to use the red wig.

However, even they hadn't looked the best that night. Deciding to compromise with extra thick eye liner, red tint to his lips and a borrowed long black coat, Evan had privately declared Connor the most stunning of them all. It had taken Connor a few months to realise just how much Evan enjoyed seeing him wear eye-liner and he now exploits at every given opportunity.

Not that Evan's complaining.

In order to stop all the blood rushing to his face, Evan quickly moves onto the next photo – the last day of winter vacation. This is one of the few on the wall that weren't actually taken by Connor and it's evident in how hastily it was taken. Alana just succeeded in capturing the moment that one of Evan's snowballs finally made contact, after many failed attempts. In fact, he somehow managed to aim it right at Zoe's face. In the photo there is Evan's rosy cheeked face drawn in shock, Zoe's face on the verge of morphing into shock just as the snowball collides her nose and there, in the corner, is Connor's face alight with laughter. It was one of the first times Evan had ever heard Connor laugh like that, so loud and unguarded, and it was he himself who ended up putting that photo on Connor's wall.

He slides his gaze over more photos. There's one of Zoe during a recital, one of Alana when she did an assembly on mental health that had ended up in the newspaper, another of Evan drawing on Jared's face during a sleepover in retaliation for Jared trying it on him first, a selfie of Connor and Evan when Connor had suggested they go star-gazing…

A noise from downstairs jolts Evan out of his thoughts and a quick glance at the time informs him just how much time he's wasted reminiscing. With the decorations Zoe had convinced him were a great idea still sat in the plastic carrier bag, he quickly begins throwing them around the room, in the middle of chucking heart shaped confetti over Connor's desk when said soulmate opens the door.

"Evan?! What the hell are you doing he-what are you doing?"

Evan freezes, hand outstretched over Connor's laptop. A few stray bits of confetti fall from his sweaty palm.

"…Surprise?"

Connor blinks and then lets out a snort of laughter, eyes glittering with amusement. "Only you Evan. Fuck, come here."

Connor draws Evan's frozen form into his arms and Evan instantly melts into the hug, pressing his face close against Connor's neck. He smells like the cologne Evan had bought him for his birthday, earthy but with a hint of floral.

"I thought we agreed we were gonna save celebrating for after midterms," Connor says as they part and Evan gives a helpless shrug.

"We did but you're not starting until next week and I don't need to worry about assignments yet. I wanted to surprise you and then Zoe convinced me to get decorations which I'm kind of regretting now and-"

Evan will never get tired of Connor stopping his rambling with a kiss. He clutches loosely on Connor's arms, aware of the confetti still stuck to them, and tilts his head back. This is also something that's improved over the past months, once they both stopped overthinking things, and now every kiss leaves Evan breathless in the best possible way.

"You know I don't need this shit, right?" Connor says softly against Evan's lips. "I'm just happy to have you here."

It feels like Evan's heart is going to beat right out of his chest with how full it is and goes in for another quick kiss. "Maybe I like giving you things you don't need," Evan replies.

Connor rolls his eyes fondly before they widen. "Shit. Fuck, I'm so glad I got your present done early."

"You know I don't need that sort of stuff, right?" Evan teases and Connor rolls his eyes once more before he runs to the door.

"I'll be right back," is all he says before he goes thumping down the stairs. There's the muffled sound of Connor and Cynthia talking and moments later he returns, holding something hurriedly wrapped in some bright pink tissue paper.

"Didn't think to wrap it early though," he admits. "Happy anniversary," he says, before almost shoving it in Evan's direction, a gesture that happened both Christmas and Evan's birthday, meaning he's worried over Evan's opinion. That Connor's nervous too makes Evan feel a little better and after taking his own gift he hands Connor's his.

"Happy anniversary."

Unable to watch Connor open his own gift, Evan focuses on carefully unwrapping the tissue paper. Once done, he takes a moment to digest just what he's looking at.

It's a picture frame and as much as Evan is obsessed with nature, he can't be sure of the type of wood he runs his hands along. Pine, maybe, and it's completely smooth apart from the added detail. Both at the top and the bottom is the outline of a rose, tinted yellow and knowledge from a summer's work experience at a florist rushes back to Evan.

Joy, friendship and a new beginning.

And there, either side in pale blue are forget-me-nots. Not only do they, as the name implies, indicate remembrance but they also represent true love.

Tears burn the corners of Evan's eyes. Now he knows what this special project Connor had been working on his dad was, why he'd been so adamant that Evan never even enter the garage. He'd been making this. He'd been working with his dad, despite their relationship still being rocky, to make a frame for Evan.

"I fucking love you too," is all Evan hears before he's once again got an arm full of Connor Murphy, his soulmate's lank frame deceptively strong. Though the frame digs a little uncomfortably in his chest, he doesn't care; he just frees one arm so that he can twine his fingers in Connor's hair – even softer now he's using a new product. He can feel Connor's lips upturned in a smile against his shoulder and, well, at least he's not the only one struggling not to cry.

"Let's go now," Connor then says and in a flash, Evan is being dragged outside by his hand, Connor holding Evan's present in the other hand. Evan had hoped for a good reaction for his gift but this exceeds it, Connor's excitement infecting him as they get into the car.

They have a new spot now, the orchard holding far too many painful memories for the both of them. It's a park about 20 minutes away by car but it's so out of the way that it's rarely inhabited, in fact most of the wildlife has been left to grow. It's for that reason Evan doesn't feel so bad when Connor begins digging at the grown with his nails, in his rush having forgotten to get a trowel. He digs a small hole and then looks up at Evan.

"Uh, is this right?"

Evan goes back to what he remembered when he bought the maple tree seed. He hadn't been sure what type to get at first but ultimately, it had been the easiest option, especially with the both of them heading off to college. Together, they make the hole a little wider and then set the container with the seedling within it, using a water bottle as they begin to fill it back up. One done, they're left staring at the little seedling.

"Now what?" Connor asks.

"We wait," Evan replies. "Until the second spring after planting."

"That's so long," Connor complains but Evan smiles, grabbing Connor's dirt covered hand with his own.

"We've got time," he replies and Connor's eyes soften.

"Yeah we do."

An idea springs in Evan's mind. "Can you take a picture? I…I know what I want to go in my frame."

Connor grins, having heard Evan's detailed enthusiasm of his frame on the drive there.

"Sure." He digs out his phone, since the frame's not made for a Polaroid photo, and holds out his arm. Evan squeezes close beside Connor and grins when an arm gets flung around his shoulder. He winds his own arm around Connor's waist.

However, instead of counting down, Connor turns his face to Evan and intently says, "I love you Evan Hansen."

"I love you t-"

The picture that ends up in Evan's frame is the two of them kissing, the seedling in front of them. Evan never changes the picture in that frame and he never wants to. With the accidental tilt to the photo as Connor got distracted, it's imperfectly perfect. Just like they are.

Dear Connor Murphy,

One year ago I found out you were my soulmate. 'Who would've thought it would be you?' I still ask myself that now because I never thought I would deserve someone like you. We may not have had the best start but with where we are now, I'm not sure I'd change much. It's made me realise just what we can get through so long as we're together.

Our relationship is like a tree and before you say anything, please bear with me. It started off small, a sapling going to amount to nothing unless it got water, the nutrients it needed to keep growing. It needs effort and we put that in for us, and now we're growing. You've grown so much Connor and you don't know how proud I am of you.

So, that's why I bought you a seed for our anniversary. Well, it's more of a seedling since it had to go through a lot of treatment beforehand and stratification…but that's not what's important. What is important is that this will be ours. It will grow with us. I thought we could plant it in our spot and who knows maybe one day, another kid will be sat there having just found their soulmate and not knowing what to do. Their soulmate may come looking for them and then…then they'll talk. They'll get to know each other. They'll become friends and eventually, maybe more.

They'll realise there was a reason the universe put them together.

I love you Connor and I can't express to you how happy I am to have you as my soulmate. This has been an amazing year and I can't wait to spend many more with you.

Sincerely,

Evan Hansen

Did someone order some extra cheese?

(There has been some butchering of gardening here but I decided getting this out was more important that losing my sanity over research. Sorry Evan, I do not share your passion.)

Anyway, this is finally done! I've had the start of this on my computer for so long but I really wanted to get this out before Christmas for a holiday gift. I am so grateful to all of you who've read this, reviewed and favourited. This has been the best fic to write because you are all so wonderful. If you haven't already seen, I do have some other DEH one-shots you can read and maybe one day I'll write a new story for this fandom. If there are any scenes from this verse you may want to see let me know. I can't promise I'll write them or if I do, it'll be soon, but I have loved writing this 'verse so much.

Thank you so very much for reading!