Title: Touch
Fandom: Primeval
Pairing: Connor/Stephen
Warnings: Slash
Spoilers: Episode 4
Author's Notes: For when Stephen grasped Connor's shoulder while they were watching Nick with the dodos.
Connor knew teasing; it was the one constant of his life, he had been teased in primary school and in high school and now in university it was still there. Whether it was about his looks or his hobbies or his mistakes, the names and the shoving and the snide comments were as much a part of his life as eating.
So when Steven started teasing him it barely even registered, it was expected, what Connor didn't expect was the touching. It started light, barely noticeable, Stephen's hand would brush against his arm, or against his back, it startled him at first, Connor wasn't used to casual touch, for the first few days he jumped whenever it happened and then blushed at his own nervousness. Connor figured it was just something Stephen did, touched people, so he tried to ignore it and within a week he hardly noticed it.
Connor certainly didn't notice that the touches were getting longer, not at first at least, the brush against his arm or his back would linger and there were times Connor could swear that someone had touched his hair.
When the light brush on his back turned into guiding hand and the hand brushing his arm turned into an affectionate squeeze Connor figured it was just a new way for Stephen to tease him. So he could laugh when Connor instinctually leant into the warm touch or returned Stephen's bright smile. But then he didn't laugh and he kept touching and kept smiling and Connor didn't know what to do, didn't know how to react. Then Stephen had done it in front of everyone else, laid a hand on his shoulder as they watched Nick with the Dodo's and Nick had quirked a small smile with a raised eyebrow at Stephen and Connor was even more confused.
Then Tom had died and it didn't matter as Stephen peeled him out of Nick's embrace and held him close and Connor buried his face in Stephen's shoulder and let him stroke his hair. Something must have happened while he was buried there because then Stephen was bundling him into the car and Abby was promising to collect some of his things.
Connor stared dazedly out of the window as they drove and barely registered they weren't at Abby's when Stephen drew him from the car, into the apartment and then onto the couch where he sat and just held Connor up against him.
Then Stephen kissed the top of his head and everything fell away and Connor understood. Stephen didn't touch him to tease him or for a laugh, he touched him because he wanted to and that knowledge filled Connor with more warmth then he had ever thought possible. They'd deal with all the repercussions tomorrow, tonight Connor just wanted Stephen to hold him and Stephen seemed to have no intention of letting him go, so Connor just leant back into Stephen's hold and closed his eyes.