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Van pulled his dad's car up and into Avalon's driveway with his heart in his throat. Was Gideon accepting him, finally? After a month and a half of him and Avalon dating, Gideon was willing to accept him into their life? Was he finally going to start saying more than just two words to Van and stop shooting him frowns? Van was excited. It bothered him that the man didn't like him. It made things uncomfortable when Van was at the house, he was there a lot. They had breakfast together every morning. Lunches and dinners were split between his house and hers but when they just wanted to hung out, to just watch TV, they stayed at her place. They would sit on the couch, wrapped up together, or stretch out on the couch if Gideon was busy in his office. Van felt weird touching her in front of her father since it was clear Gideon didn't like it but Avalon had no problems with it. She would kiss him, hold his hand or hug him without a second thought.

" Okay, Dad." Van said when he opened the passenger door to the car. " Give me your hands."

" Van!" Avalon called out as she burst out of the house. Van grinned while he pulled his dad out of the car.

" She gets so excited." Chad muttered.

" Yeah." Van agreed. He settled his dad into his wheelchair then turned to face her as she reached him. She launched herself at him, throwing her arms around his shoulders at once. One hand went into his hair at the back of his head while she pressed her lips to his. He grinned, putting his arms around her waist and holding her against him.

" Hi." She whispered.

" Hi." Van said with a smile. She gave his hair a slight pull before she stepped back and smiled at Chad.

" Hi." She said. " I'm so glad you came."

" Thank you for inviting me." Chad said quietly.

" So we are going to eat in the backyard since it's a nice day. Come on." Avalon said.

Van hurried around to the back of the wheel chair and off they went. He followed her along the path that went around the house and over to a picnic table that was covered in a white sheet. Sitting in the center of it was a bouquet of white daisies and a pitcher of tea. Van pushed his dad over to the end of the table then locked the brakes of the chair.

" Avalon." She looked up towards the house as Gideon started around it and towards them. " Oh, I wasn't aware that they had arrived." He said. Van turned and smiled, hoping it didn't look as nervous as he was feeling. Her dad was a serious man who hardly ever smiled and commanded all attention when he walked into a space.

" Hello, Mr. Weathervane." He said after clearing his throat.

" Hello, Van." Gideon answered, reaching the table a second later.

" So this is my dad, Chad." Van said, patting one of his dad's shoulders. Gideon nodded and smiled. It was a practiced, professional smile but it was a smile at least. He stepped closer to Chad's wheelchair, blocking out the sun from the other's face and making Gideon look taller and darker than he actually was.

" Hello. My name is Gideon." He said, extending a hand. Chad nodded, shaking his hand.

" Um...Chad." He said. He was just as nervous as his son was.

" I hope you like hamburgers." Gideon said when they dropped hands.

" I do. Thank you for having us over." Chad said.

" It's no problem. Avalon, Van, why don't you head into the house and bring down the food." Gideon said, taking a seat so he was beside Chad.

Avalon was almost grinning as she took Van's hand. He returned her smile with his own and a squeeze of his hand. They pressed into each other while they turned from the fathers and started towards the house. She leaned her head against his arm, feeling happy and relaxed. Gideon had never wanted to meet any of her boyfriends' families before.

" Now that the kids are gone, I think we should have a man to man talk." Gideon said. He brought his hands up to clasp together while his arms came to rest against the top of the table.

" A man to man talk?" Chad asked. His own hands went together while his elbows were on the arms of the chair.

" Tell me something, just where to you think this relationship can go? I mean, really?" Gideon asked, staring hard at the other man. " Because I'm going to be honest with you. My daughter is going places. I have gone through a lot of things and gone to great lengths to ensure that she will have a good life, a fruitful future. What I have seen of your son, I can't say the same. He has no job and he's almost twenty-one. He had no car of his own and he lives with his father. Do you understand what I'm getting at here?" Chad nodded slowly.

" You don't think Van is good enough for Avalon." He said.

" I don't think, I know. Now you know kids and you know that if I tell her this, it will only push her into him more. I don't know how much you know about us, but we move a lot. I want her to see everything and I can not allow her to be tied down with the likes of him. You and I both know that Van is a lifer here. Some day he may get job, his own place, but she will not be here for that. She will not be here for a some day. The plans I have for her do not involve her settling down with a laker." Gideon said. More understanding went through Chad's eyes, making Gideon smile for real. He was glad to see the man was getting it because GIdeon hated to explain things and was being as blunt as he could.

" You want me to make Van break up with her." He said.

" I do." Gideon said as he nodded. " I have already found us a new place to live, in a new town. Van will break up with her, she will be upset as I do know that she likes him a lot, and we will leave this place. She will get over it in the new place and her bright future can began." Gideon said. " As a father, I'm sure you can understand how I want the very best for my child. As a man whose wife left him, you can understand why I am so protective of what I have left. Your son seems like a nice, young man. I can say that he has very well manners but he is not the one for Avalon."

Avalon lead Van up the stairs to the main part of her house by his hand. Excitement was flowing through them both. It promised to be a good day. It was warm so they would cook out, let the fathers get to know each other then sneak away for some private time...starting right than. Avalon turned as she reached the top of the stairs. They were kissing moments later. His hands gripped at her hips, hers were pulling at his shoulders and neck. Her breath was coming out in panting bursts across his face as his tongue swirled slowly around hers. She gave another tug and by now, he knew what she wanted. He moved his hands from her hips to her ass. He picked up her so she could wrap around his waist. Avalon smiled then laughed against his lips.

" Stop laughing and just kiss me. You know we only have a few minutes." Van whispered. He tugged on her again, tilting her head to give himself more access to her mouth. He dove straight inside her, rubbing his tongue against hers. Around and around they moved in her mouth until she forced him to stop by pulling her mouth away from his.

" We have to go out there or Gideon will come looking for us." She whispered.

" I have my house keys. We can eat, I'll take dad home then we go there for alone time." Van whispered. They had started keeping pillows and blankets in his old house three weeks ago and meeting there at night instead of the row boat...meeting there at night and sometimes during the day.

" Yeah, that sounds good." Avalon said. Van returned her to the floor but grabbed at her hips as they went into the kitchen to get the meat and buns. She laughed as he slowly thrust his hips into her ass. "You better stop. You won't be able to calm down if you don't."

" I'm not going to be able to calm down anyway." Van muttered, making her laugh again.

" Then go stick your hands under some cold water." She said.

" Yeah, maybe I should." He detached himself from Avalon to turn on her sink. She was at the fridge, pulling the burgers out by the time he thrust his hands under the cold stream. " Holy shit! Yeah, that's going to work as long as I don't look at you or think about the house."

" You're so crazy." Avalon teased.

The rest of the cookout seemed to go well for the couple. Chad was quiet but that was no surprise to Avalon or Van. He hardly ever talked when Avalon was around. He wasn't rude to her, sometimes trying hard to make conversation with her when she was over, but he was quiet. He would only look at her for a few seconds at a time. His answers to her questions or his own questions to her were always given in a quiet, shy voice. Now, at the cookout, he wasn't looking at anyone but Van. The couple wasn't worried though, Chad didn't know Gideon so of course he'd be more shy.

Gideon cooked and made as polite conversation as he could. Avalon teased him about the cooking because she had been making their meals since she was fourteen and Gideon had never cooked on a grill. He made faces at her, making his daughter laugh and hug at him. When they ate, Van and Avalon sat across from each other, shooting looks at each other with want on his face and teasing playfulness on hers.

Thankful, the cookout was over and Van could get his dad into the car. He was starting to flare to life inside his camouflage shorts. Soon, twenty minutes top, he would have his girlfriend under him or above him and Van couldn't wait. He shut the car door then faced her with a grin. She gave him the coy smile that he found so attractive.

" So I'm going to take him home then meet me at the house? Jason and Flip want to hang out later, maybe smoke or something." Van said.

" Yeah, that sounds good." She touched his arms as they reached for each other. He kissed her carefully, just a soft brush of his lips against hers. " Hurry up, okay?"

" Yeah, okay." Van whispered. With more grins, they moved away from each other so Van could hurry around the car. Avalon waved to Chad who nodded and gave her a wave with just the lift of his hand. She watched as Van started up the car and pulled away.

" Van." Chad said, watching Avalon as the car backed down the driveway.

" Did you have a good time, Dad?" Van asked.

" Yeah." Chad frowned and closed his eyes. How could he do this? For the first time in a long time his son was happy, Chad could see that. Van was smiling more, he was in a good mood, he didn't snap at Chad anymore, he seem to have found something to live for again. Chad sighed, opened his eyes and looked at his son as they headed for their home. "Gideon wants you to break up with Avalon."

NRNRNR

Avalon was sitting on the stairs leading up to Van's old house, waiting with excitement stirring in her stomach. She was rubbing her hands over her thighs with her skin already starting to tingle. She could almost feel his lips on hers, could almost feel his weight pressing against her body and hear his groans. Avaon smiled and closed her eyes. Tingling, swirling excitement settled down deep inside her, pooling between her legs, getting her ready for him. What was taking him so long? She looked down at her shoes and started tapping them against the old, cracked cement stairs. Blades of grass were starting to crept through the cracks as if nature wanted to reclaim the house and had decided to start with the stairs. She took a deep breath, loving the smell of rain in the air. Rain on the lake was beautiful and sometimes she and Van would swim in it or just sit on the dock and let the cool drops drench them.

" Hey." Avalon said when she saw Van making his way up the driveway. His hands were deep in his pockets, his head was down but his steps were quick and hurried. He looked up at her while pursing his lips together. He was biting the inside of his cheek, she could tell. She stood up smiling but it died down right away. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't even happy. He should be as excited as she was. He should be hurrying up the stairs to grab her and carry her inside but instead he was just walking. " What's wrong, V?" He frowned and stopped walking when he reached her. She was standing on top stair so their faces were level.

" Gideon told my dad to make me break up with you." He said.

" What? No. No way, why would he do that?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

" He told my dad that he has big plans for you and that they don't include someone like me." Van snapped. Avalon shook her head with her own frown. " He said he doesn't want you tied down to the likes of me."

" No, he won't. Your dad heard him wrong. My dad knows how much I like you. He knows how much you mean to me so he won't say that stuff." She defended.

" Are you calling my dad a fucking liar?" Van yelled as his anger over flowed.

" No, I'm saying your dad misunderstood him. Gideon won't do that." She snapped.

" Well, he did!"

" Don't yell at me!" Avalon countered.

" Do you think the same thing! Am I not good enough for you! You think you have all this experience and you have seen so much and I'm just some laker kid you can use for now for fun! Huh?" Van yelled.

" What are you talking about! You know I don't think that! Why are you talking like that!" Avalon yelled.

" He said you are going places but I'm just staying here! He said you have a great future but I have nothing!" Van yelled. His blue eyes flashed with emotion. Anger and sadness flicked back and forth in the normally cool, playful blues.

" Van, stop, please!" She said, lowering her voice. She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. " Stop." She said. Van was panting hard and frowning harder. He grabbed at her hips and yanked her against him. Her arms went around his shoulders and they hugged each other tightly. Van turned his head so the side of his face was resting against her chest. She closed her eyes and let her chin rest against the top of his head.

" I'm not going to break up with you. That's not what I want." Van whispered. His heart was slamming in his chest and his stomach was killing him.

" Me either. I will find out what happen, okay? I'll see what happen, what he said, but I know he won't say that. I know he won't. I adore you and Gideon knows that." Avalon said. " I'll figure everything out. Let's just enjoy the rest of our day."

They tried to do just that but everything stayed on their minds. They made out but both were lost in their own worlds and gave up trying to have sex. They went into the woods with Jason and Flip and smoked a few joints. They held hands but barely talked. Van was annoyed and he felt bad for himself all over again. Avalon could have a lot going for her and he knew he had nothing. He had nothing to offer her. Gideon was right, Van was a lifer on the lake and he knew it. He gave up on college, gave up on moving away, gave up on a lot of things...maybe he should break up with her.

" Come out of your head." Avalon whispered as she placed herself against him. One arm went around to his back while her other one went into his hair. She pulled his head down to place a soft kiss against his lips. " It's going to be fine." Around them the sun was starting to set, casting pinks and oranges through the sky and cooling the hot air around them.

" Maybe he's right." Van whispered as Jason and Flip started to throw rocks into the lake. They were standing on the bank of the lake together while the two friends stood at the edge of the lake. Avalon scratched against the back of his head, making Van start to melt. He loved it when she played with his hair like that, when she scratched against his scalp. His hands went around her to her back.

" It's a misunderstanding, I promise." She whispered. She brushed her nose against his then kissed against his lower lip. She sucked it into her mouth slightly and nibbled against it. " I'll find everything out but it's going to be fine." Van's arms tighten to gently smash her against him.

" Would you two stop it!" Jason snapped when the couple started kissing more. Avalon started to pull away to laugh but Van grabbed at her quickly, keeping her against his lips. He gave his friends the middle finger, making the boys laugh and turn away.

Later in the night, Van walked her home with both of them feeling nervous. Gideon couldn't...he wouldn't...Gideon knew how much Van meant to her and he wouldn't try and screw anything up for her. She would talk to her dad and get everything straighten up. Van wasn't breaking up with her and she wasn't breaking up with him.

" It's going to be fine, you'll see." Avalon said when they stopped just outside her door. She took a hold of both his hands and smiled at him.

" I don't care what he says, I'm not breaking up with you." Van said. Avalon nodded.

" And I'm not breaking up with you. Now go home so I can find out what's going on. I'll see you in the flashlights." She said. Van frowned but dipped down to kiss her hard. Just in case it was the last time he ever got to kiss her.

Because it wasn't going to be fine, Van just knew it. As he ran the entire way back to his house, he just knew that it won't be fine. Nothing was ever fine for him anymore. His dad wasn't wrong and Gideon and Avalon were going to fight about it. She was so carefree in some ways but in other ways she was head strong. If breaking up was what Gideon wanted her to do, then he was going to get a fight. And Van was sure he knew it too. If he didn't, then why would he go to Van's dad instead of going right to Avalon?

Van locked the door of his house after he walked in. He sped through the kitchen, down the back hallway and went straight into his room. He went over to his window and the telescope. He looked through it and at her room but her light was off. Next, he moved it down so he would see into her living room, thanking the Lord for floor to ceiling, all room windows.

There she was and she was yelling. Gideon had his back to the window with his hands on his hips but Van knew he was frowning. Avalon was pissed, throwing her hands up in the air and pacing. Van watched as the father and daughter started to circle each other. He didn't think Gideon would hurt her physically but he knew the father would pull no stops emotionally when he was mad. He won't think twice of cutting her deep with his words.

Avalon suddenly spun around and took off for the stairs. Gideon dropped his hands down and followed after her. Van moved the telescope up to her room at the same time the light went on. She came in with a bag in one hand and her toothbrush in another. And she was still yelling. She went over to her dresser and ripped open the drawers. Van watched as Gideon came into the room and this time, he was yelling too. Avalon stuffed some clothes in her back bag, slammed the drawer shut then fled the room. That was all Van needed to see. He knew she was coming for him. It was his turn to spin around and tear out of his room and house.

Through the warm, lake air Van ran. He ran past the trees, jumping over fallen branches and dogdinglow hanging ones. He pushed leaves and bushes out of his way in his need to get to his girlfriend. Insects called out to him, bats rustled through the leaves above him, the dark surrounded him but he didn't care. He hardly noticed any of it. Harder and harder he pumped his legs.

" Avalon!" He called out when he thought she should be close enough to hear him.

" Van!" She burst out of a group of trees and they ran straight into each others bodies, slamming hard enough to knock the air from their lungs. " It's true! It's all true!" She panted as she held him as tightly as she could.

" We aren't breaking up." Van reassured her. His arms circled her and her backpack. Sweat was wetting hairline from his run and a bead of it was slipping down his face and starting to coat his arms but he didn't care. He needed to hold her close.

" Let's go back to your house, please."

Chad never said anything to them when Avalon stayed the night the few times she did. She slept over at Van's house once or twice a week but as to completely disrespect his dad, they never had sex. They went to sleep feeling satisfied with each other because having oral sex and doing hand play never felt disrespectful and they were quiet about it. Sex was never an option in his bed and they both knew it. But that night, having an orgasm was the farthest thing from both their minds. With her backpack on his desk and Van's back to the wall of his room, they cuddled in his bed together. She was laying in one of his shirts with both her arms under his pillow. She was laying half on her side and half on her stomach so Van had his head between her shoulders.

" I'm sorry." Avalon whispered into the darkness.

" Don't be. It's not your fault he feels that way." Van returned. He brought one his legs between hers and one of his hands to her arm. He pushed up the sleeve of his shirt and started to stroke her skin to help calm her.

" You know I don't think or feel that way." She whispered. She closed her eyes and sighed as his fingertips danced slow, soft circles up then back down her arm.

" I know you don't, Av. Just get some sleep, okay?" He whispered.