Okay, Dear Readers! Are you ready to ride the angsty roller coaster? Hang on!

Glee is not mine. *sobs into her pillow*

~oOo~

The rest of the week rolled by, with classes in full-speed-ahead mode and exhausting soccer practices. Before the boys knew it, it was Friday afternoon and it was time for soccer. Gavin and AJ took their usual route to the sports complex, talking about the week and their plans for Saturday.

During a lull in the conversation, Gavin looked straight ahead and recognized two boys from the team in the distance. As they walked the taller boy reached over and pulled the other to his side and slipped an arm over his shoulder. As he did this, the taller boy planted a kiss on the temple of the boy next to him.

"Whoa! Did I just see that? Are Will and Owen together?" Gavin asked AJ.

"Yeah. They have been since the end of freshman year. Why?"

"I…wow. Are people around here okay with them walking around like that?" Gavin asked.

"We're at Dalton, remember?" AJ said. "Any kind of teasing or bullying would not be tolerated. Everyone is chill, unless their PDA gets out of hand, and really, where is that not gross? You look a little shocked."

"A little shocked and a lot relieved. That would have never gone down at my old school," Gavin said.

"Well, you aren't at your old school, now are you?" AJ asked, punching Gavin lightly on the arm. "Race you to Will and Owen!" AJ yelled, already taking off at a sprint.

"Cheater!" Gavin yelled, running his fastest to catch up to AJ, which he did.

~oOo~

AJ was thankful that Michael and Jacob were on the overnight history field trip on Saturday so that he could get ready for his…date?...dinner-and-movie-between-friends?…whatever it was, with Gavin. The boys would be full of questions (one of which would be "Can we come along?" and "Well, why not?" when AJ told them no) and he just wasn't ready to answer them. AJ showered and turned to his closet, where you chose his favorite jeans, oxfords sans socks, a light blue button down shirt and a navy pull over vest. He tamed his hair, checked the clock and realized he had five minutes before he had to leave.

Down the hall, Gavin, too, prepared for the evening. Gavin chose to wear skinny tan cords, and a white t-shirt under a red v-neck sweater. He tousled his hair, brushed his teeth, and was just taking one last look in the mirror when he heard a light knock. He opened the door and there stood AJ Hummel-Anderson.

"Hi!" Gavin said, "Come in! I'm just about ready. You look great, by the way."

"Thank you," AJ replied. "You don't look so shabby yourself! Red is a good color for you."

A slightly uncomfortable silence filled the air. Neither boy was sure how to handle this new facet of their relationship. The awkwardness hung around for a few seconds longer before AJ said, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes!" Gavin said, almost relieved that they were talking again. "I just need to grab my wallet. So, where are you taking me to dinner?"

"It's a new place called Zorba's and the food is supposed to be really good," AJ said as he pulled Gavin's door shut behind him. The boys walked through the dorm hallways to the main entrance to Dalton, where they'd sign themselves out for the evening. Since they were now juniors, they were allowed to be out until 11pm. The staff member on duty that night reminded them to not be late, as the consequences were steep. Minutes later, the boys were in AJ's car, driving towards downtown Westerville.

Thankfully, it did not take much time for the awkwardness to dissipate and their easy way of conversing returned. While waiting for their food, they each talked about their families and growing up on opposite coasts. AJ learned that living with siblings was not all puppy kisses and rainbows. Gavin learned that being the kid of two dads made things uncomfortable sometimes. Gavin asked more about Kurt's career on Broadway and Blaine's books. AJ asked about what people do for fun in California. Once their food arrived, the conversation continued, and before they knew it, both boys were stuffed.

"That was an amazing meal," Gavin said, patting his stomach. "I can't think of the last time I felt completely full!'

"No kidding. I think you are going to have to tip me over and roll me out of here," AJ said, stretching his arms to the sky, hoping to create a little more room in his stomach. After telling the waiter that they couldn't possibly handle dessert ("I think that's the first time in my life I've passed on dessert. How weird," AJ said) AJ reached for his wallet to pay the bill.

"Oh no you don't," Gavin said, slapping his hand down on the ticket. "I'm paying."

"Excuse me, but who asked out whom?" AJ challenged.

"Doesn't matter. I'm paying," Gavin said as he reached for his wallet.

"Is that David Beckham over there?" AJ pointed across the restaurant.

"What…where…" Gavin choked, looking around frantically. When his hand left the ticket, AJ snapped it up.

"Ha! Oldest trick in the book." Gavin sent his best glare in AJ's direction, but they boys started laughing. After AJ paid, the exited the restaurant and walked towards the car. Seconds later, AJ felt a hand slip inside his. He turned to Gavin and smiled.

"This okay?" Gavin asked quietly.

"Totally okay," AJ returned.

~oOo~

"So, what are the chances that you'll stay awake through the entire movie," AJ asked Gavin.

"Usually, I'd say slim-to-none, but I've been anxious to see this movie since I saw the trailers last spring. I mean, Will Smith, Sandra Bullock, aliens, and explosives. Who wouldn't want to stay awake for that?"

Gavin may have started the movie with the best of intentions, but, like clockwork, twenty minutes into the feature, his head drooped and landed on AJ's shoulder. And just like last time, soft little snores, not loud enough to be heard by anyone but AJ, began. AJ smiled and rested his own head on Gavin's as he continued to watch the movie.

True to form, Gavin woke up ten minutes before the end of the movie. He moved, causing AJ to lift his head, and smile at Gavin. "Good morning sunshine," AJ whispered.

"Damn. I did it again," Gavin whispered back. He settled in to watch the last minutes of the movie, taking AJ's hand in his. When the movie ended, they had just enough time to get back to Dalton and sign in. Since there was still one hour until lights out, the boys decided to head to the commons to talk for a while.

"So, don't you think it's kind of weird that you have, like, this collection of movie stories in your head, where you know what happens in the beginning and you know what happens in the end, but you have no clue what happens in the middle?" AJ asked.

"I know, right? Actually, that's where your job comes in. You are supposed to tell me what I missed while I slept," Gavin said, grinning at AJ.

"Oh, so now I'm not only your personal physician…"

"I never agreed to that."

"Yes you did. So, now I'm your doctor AND your movie-filler-inner?"

"Seems that way! So, tell me what happened after I fell asleep. Will Smith had just been fired by his boss…" AJ began telling the story from that point on and before they knew it, the lights in the commons flickered, reminding the boys that bedtime was in ten minutes.

"I guess we'd best head back to the dorm," AJ said, standing and extending a hand to Gavin. They both moved towards the staircase that would deliver them to their rooms. Their walk was quiet, but in a good way.

When they arrived at Gavin's door, he turned to AJ and said, "Well, that was fun. Thanks for being brave and asking me to dinner. I had a great time and I don't think I have to eat for a week!"

AJ laughed and said, "I had a good time too. Thanks for saying yes. I guess I should be heading for…AJ stopped mid sentence because Gavin reached over and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Good night AJ," Gavin said, as he opened his door. "Sleep well."

"Night Gavin. You too."

~oOo~

No matter how hard he tried, AJ could not get comfortable that night. He tossed and turned, punched his pillow, took off blankets, added more blankets. Finally, at 3:36, he sat up in bed and turned on the light.

He'd had a really good time with Gavin that night. An amazing time, really. His feelings for Gavin made him feel happy and comfortable, but an uneasy feeling ate at him too. In the past, AJ had experienced the feelings associated with normal teenage crushes. And while these feelings were real, AJ found that they did not sustain themselves over time. This thing with Gavin was different, he could tell, and quite frankly, AJ was scared. He knew that when a person gives their heart away, the chance of having it broken grows exponentially, and AJ wasn't sure he could take that kind of pain. He also knew that if this relationship with Gavin continued to grow, his life would never be the same, and that scared him too. The conflict pushed and pulled him for the rest of the night and by the time the sun came up the next morning, the only solution AJ could see was to slow things down with Gavin. Maybe if he avoided Gavin for a few days, he'd get a sense of what he was supposed to do, sort of like stepping back and watching the situation before making any decisions. AJ was sure this plan would work and that in a few days, this inner turmoil would be gone.

That morning, Gavin hung around, waiting for AJ to stop by and pick him up for breakfast, like he normally did on Sundays. When he didn't show, AJ walked down the hall and knocked on the door of 208. No one answered, so Gavin went to breakfast by himself and ended up eating with his study group from French class. A couple of hours later, he knocked on 208 again, but this time, AJ answered. He seemed preoccupied and said that he had tons of homework and that he'd be studying all day. Gavin offered to bring him a snack later, but AJ declined, saying he'd be fine. Gavin noticed a change in AJ's behavior from the previous night, but wrote it off to homework stress. He knew that some people handled a busy schedule by sequestering themselves, and that was totally fine. When Gavin went to dinner at six, he passed AJ, who was exiting the dining room and heading back to his room. AJ waved and smiled, but continued on his way without speaking. This made Gavin a little more nervous, but he continued to give AJ his space. At 8:30 that night, Gavin decided to check on AJ. Before he knocked on his door, he heard laughing voices within the room. Jacob and Michael must have returned from their field trip and they were obviously telling stories that were hilarious, because AJ's booming laugh almost shook the door. Gavin decided to not disturb the friends, and returned to his room for the night.

Monday was more of the same. AJ avoided Gavin, yet politely waved or said "hi" to him in the halls. At meals, Gavin found himself eating with Michael and Jacob or with friends he'd made in other classes. When he asked AJ's roommates where he was, they responded with, "Studying like a mad man. He gets that way sometimes," they said. What they didn't share is that AJ only goes into extreme focus mode when he needs to be distracted. Gavin picked up his dishes, took them to the bussing station, and left for his afternoon English class. In the time he'd known AJ, he'd never seen this side of him. And while he'd like to believe AJ's behavior was a product of being busy, Gavin thought it strange that the change happened right after they'd gone out on their date. Was AJ offended by Gavin's kiss on his cheek? Had Gavin said something that set him off?

Gavin's dad always said that the best policy in difficult times is to talk things out, so that's what Gavin would try to do. He'd talk to AJ on their walk to soccer practice and try to clear the air. He went into his English class feeling much better now that he had a plan.

AJ Hummel-Anderson was never late. He'd told Gavin that he thought being late to meetings, classes, and social gatherings was rude and disrespectful, and Gavin had never known AJ to be tardy. Except today, when AJ never did show up to walk with Gavin to practice. When Gavin finally reached the field on his own, he saw that AJ was already there, talking to the athletic trainer. When Gavin caught AJ's eye, he smiled and nodded and kept talking to the trainer. Minutes later, Coach blew his whistle, and practice began. As they left the field, AJ started to walk with Gavin, but called to another boy ahead of the pack, "Hey! Tyler! Wait up! We need to talk about our physics project." AJ turned to Gavin as he sprinted ahead, saying, "Sorry, I have to talk to..." AJ kept walking with Tyler and his friends until they reached the dorm.

Gavin was crushed. AJ was obviously avoiding him. Something must have gone wrong on their date. He decided that the best policy was to back off and let AJ come to him when he was ready. If AJ never came around? "Well, I'll know where I stand," Gavin thought to himself.

~oOo~

Staying away from Gavin proved to be more difficult than AJ thought it would be. First and foremost, the boys were friends, and AJ had to stop himself from running down the hall to tell Gavin about some ridiculous thing Michael and Jacob did. Avoiding Gavin in the cafeteria and at practice wasn't easy either. The worst part was the tiny looks of bewilderment and hurt that would flash across Gavin's face when AJ walked past him or cut a conversation short. Worse yet, AJ still didn't know what to do about his feelings towards Gavin. All he knew is that he liked him, really liked him, and that he needed to talk to someone. AJ took out his phone, brought up his contacts list, and pushed the button.

"Hummel Tires and Lube. This is Burt speaking."

"Hi Grandpa," AJ said into his phone.

"Hey AJ! How are you, boy! What's going on?"

"Um, actually, I was wondering if you have time to talk. If you are busy, I'll understand, but I really need someone to talk to right now…"

"Are your classes done for the day?" Burt asked, a little bit of urgency and concern in his voice.

"Yeah."

"Start driving and I'll meet you at the house in two hours, okay? Are you alright AJ? Are you safe?"

"I'm fine Grandpa. I just need to talk."

"Well how about this," Burt said, " I'll call the front desk and give permission for you to stay with us tonight. You can get up early and drive in for class tomorrow morning. How about that?"

"That sounds perfect," AJ said. "I'll see you in a few hours." AJ hung up his phone and got up to pack a bag. He knew that everything would be much clearer when he talked with his grandpa.

~oOo~

Burt met AJ at the front door of the Hummel's house and immediately pulled him into a hug. In this embrace, AJ broke down and allowed a few tears to fall. Burt led him to the kitchen table, where they sat across from each other, drinking cans of Coke.

"Don't tell your dad you saw me drink this, kiddo. We'll both have hell to pay," Burt said with a laugh. AJ smiled, knowing exactly what his grandpa meant. Kurt would flip if he found out his dad was drinking soda. "So, what's going on in that brain of yours?"

AJ let out a long sigh. "I'm not sure where to begin."

"Well, let me take a stab at this. Does your turmoil have anything to do with Gavin?" Burt asked, looking into eyes that forced him to remind himself that he was talking to his grandson, not his son.

AJ opened his mouth and closed it, only to open it again. He looked at his grandpa and finally said. "Yeah, it does, and how did you know?"

Burt leaned back in his chair and chuckled. "I had a feeling something was going on. Grandma noticed it too. When you brought Gavin here a few weeks ago, we noticed that you acted a little different around him. Grandma even said your behavior reminded her of when your Daddy K brought your Daddy B home for the first time."

"Wow. So you knew something was going on before I even knew something was going on. That's amazing!" AJ said.

"Let's chalk it up to experience," Burt said, grinning. "So, kid, what's up?"

AJ went back over the last few weeks at school. Burt listened intently, and waited until his grandson said all he needed to say. "So, as you can see, I'm totally confused," AJ said.

"Well, do you want my opinion?" Burt asked, not wanting to give unneeded advice.

"Please," AJ said.

"First and foremost, I think you've probably freaked Gavin out. You've gone from being his best buddy, and maybe even more, to avoiding him, and that's gotta hurt. You might want to address that sooner than later," Burt said, raising his eyebrows and looking at AJ.

"Yeah. Looking back, that was probably a bonehead move. He probably hates me right now."

"Might be, but it's a solvable problem. Second, I think you are just scared of the unknown. You've never been in the position to give your heart to someone else and that prospect is scary, believe me. On the flip side, if you give your heart to the right person, your life can be a million times more beautiful than it already is. But once you give it away, the chances of being hurt are huge." AJ looked at his grandpa and nodded in agreement.

"Look, you are young AJ. You've never really been romantically involved with anyone so of course you are scared. The good news is that none of this has to be out of control. Don't rush into anything. The most important thing is to be friends first. I'd suggest that when you do sit down and talk to Gavin, that you decide on a game plan. Decide how you are going to handle things so that you are both comfortable. Don't make stupid decisions and don't let your feelings run all willy-nilly. Be grown up about this and I'm pretty sure the fear will fade away. Is any of this making sense?

"Total sense, Grandpa. I guess the scariest thing is that I don't want to screw this up and lose Gavin's friendship because that is what is most important to me right now."

"And if my memory serves me well, your Daddy B struggled with those same feelings. He didn't want to lose Kurt's friendship either and that caused a little bit of a struggle for them in the beginning. So I guess I can say 'Welcome to the club' huh?" Burt grinned.

AJ smiled and stood up to hug his Grandpa. "Thank you. I knew I could talk to you about this. I probably should be talking to my dads, but I'm pretty sure they'd freak out on me. And speaking of my dads, could you keep all of this on the down low? I'd like to tell them when I'm ready."

"No problem, kiddo. I totally understand. Now you'd best go call Gavin and make some apologies for your behavior this week. Grandma should be home in twenty minutes and I think we should go out for dinner tonight. Breadstix sound okay?" Burt asked.

"Sounds perfect," AJ said as he climbed the stairs.

~oOo~

Sitting on the bed in his dad's old room, AJ took out his phone and called Gavin. After four rings, he heard Gavin's voice.

"Hello?"

"Gavin? It's me, AJ."

"Oh. So, we're talking now?" Gavin asked, a little bitterness in his voice.

"Gav, look, I'm really sorry. I've been a complete ass and I realize that now. I'm at my grandpa and grandma's house because I really needed to straighten some things out in my mind."

"I know where you are. Michael and Jacob came to see me to find out if I knew what was wrong with you. They are really worried too, you know. They know something is up, but this whole 'shutting down' act is not fair to the people around you."

"Gavin, I'm so sorry. I was just scared and stepping out of life for a little while seemed the only thing I could do to fix things. I know now that it probably wasn't the healthiest thing to do, but…can you forgive me?"

The line was quiet for a few moments before Gavin spoke. "AJ, we are friends first, and friends don't treat each other that way. If our date, or whatever you want to call it, freaked you out, well, I'm sorry. But you should have just told me and we could go from there. Don't leave me hanging like that ever again. Am I making myself clear?" Gavin's tone made AJ sit up and pay attention. He'd really blown it and Gavin wasn't about to back down.

"Perfectly clear."

"Then I accept your apology. We have some talking to do. When are you coming back?"

"Tomorrow morning before classes. Can we meet for breakfast and maybe talk after school? No soccer practice tomorrow, remember?"

"I'll see you at breakfast then," Gavin said. "And AJ?"

"Yes?"

"I've really missed you."

"Not as much as I've missed you. Believe me. Bye Gav."

"Goodbye AJ."

~oOo~

And now you can all sleep well tonight. The boys will be fine. Trust me; I know these things!

GirlFromTheWest xxoo