HC for Rheese please 🤩🤩
(I just want to say that I will be including this HC in the later chapters of Functional Dysfunction, so this is kinda like a very early sneak peek, read at your own risk)
When Connor realizes that he has romantic feelings for Sarah he feels ashamed
Not because there's anything wrong with Sarah (because there's not, she amazing), but because he's almost a decade older than her
When he was learning to drive she was learning fractions
When he went to university in New York City for his undergrad she was still a kid in elementary school
It makes him feel creepy
So whenever he feels like he needs a reminder he searches for Halstead or Bekker and says 'I need you to tell me that I'm an asshole' (or jackass or whatever)
Halstead and Bekker are more than happy to oblige at the beginning, but then they get suspicious, and then they get concerned
So they make an agreement to pull him aside and talk to him
When they do, they all end up crammed together in a janitor's closet
'What's wrong with you?'
'What's wrong with us? No, what's wrong with you?'
'Yeah, what's with using us to further your self-depreciation?'
'I'm not'
'Bullshit'
'Yes you are'
Connor is saved by the bell when they all get paged for a mass casualty event coming into the ED
'This isn't over, Rhodes'
So they're all working away, helping people, saving lives
But when it's over Will and Ava look over at Connor, and then they see it
They see how his eyes go soft looking at Sarah, how relaxed his body becomes, how... Happy he looks just being around her
Connor never looks happy
And then they realize; he's in love with Sarah
He watches Sarah leave
And then suddenly it's like a switch flips, his guard is up, he tenses, and suddenly he looks ashamed
Connor looks around and spots Will and Ava and understanding flashes through his eyes
He knew that they knew
For the next week, Connor went very far out of his way to avoid his two frenemies, switching shifts, avoiding Molly's, taking public transit so they can't ambush him at his car, etc.
But they've had enough because here's the other thing they've noticed; Sarah loves him too
So, they manage to sneak past the security at his apartment building, knock on his door, and barge in the second he starts opening the door
'What the hell is wrong with you guys?!'
'We're here to talk, Rhodes'
'Now shut up and sit down. We're here to discuss your feelings for Sarah'
So they sit there for hours, talking about all of it, his self-deprecation, how Sarah definitely has feelings for him too, how he deserves happiness, how the age gap really isn't that bad
It's clear Connor doesn't really believe them, but he admits it, which is progress
As they leave his apartment Will and Ava talk about how Natalie and Maggie ship them, and how they unwittingly jumped on board
'Nat's even got a plan to get them together, but Maggie and I have held her back'
'I'm with Natalie on this, now that I know what's making him mope around like a kicked puppy something can actually be done about it'
'Oh come on, he's not that bad'
'You don't have to work directly with him every day'
