Hello Dear Ones! I wouldn't be surprised if you thought I'd fallen off the earth. More busy times in my profession, so sadly, I cannot promise regular updates. Regardless, here's the next story of our boys. If you'll remember correctly, they'd just arrived at the Hummel-Anderson residence and the whole dishwasher-blowing-up-flooding-the-kitchen episode from Daddies was just beginning to take place. I did lift some of the dialogue from Daddies to help the stories fit together. I hope you don't feel cheated. This is another place to say, "If you haven't read Daddies, get thee there and read. This chapter might make more sense."
Glee is not mine. Funny, I read that Ryan Murphy is working on a pilot for CBS about a gay couple and their surrogate. Hmmm. Do you think he'll begin each episode with a disclaimer that goes, "I do not own Daddies…"
Enjoy!
~oOo~
"Welcome to the Hummel-Anderson home!" AJ said, after pulling Gavin into the laundry room and rolling his eyes. "Here's the basket with the dog towels. Grab as many as you can." AJ filled his arms with an assortment of tattered towels and stepped out of the way so Gavin could do the same.
"You didn't tell me you have a dog!" Gavin said.
"I don't. Why did you think I did?"
"You just called these 'dog towels.' Wouldn't you need a dog to have dog towels?" Gavin asked.
"Huh. Guess so! They've just always been called that. Again, welcome to the Hummel-Anderson home, where everything is just a little bit off kilter! Come on, let's get these to the kitchen."
As AJ and Gavin made their way down the hall, AJ noticed his dads bring their conversation to a screeching halt. He smiled, knowing exactly the topic of their conversation. He loved nothing more than messing with his dads' minds, so he played along. "Here are the towels. And while we're here, why do we call these dog towels?"
"That's your father's name for them. I'd have just called them rags, but dog towels stuck. Care to explain, Blaine?" Kurt asked.
"Papa and Nana Anderson have always had several dogs at a time, and when you have a lot of dogs, there are lots of muddy messes to clean up. Worn out towels became dog towels. The end," Blaine said with a laugh.
"Not a very exotic story, Dad," AJ said, handing the rags over to his dad. Kurt took the load from Gavin's arms.
"Why don't you go help Gavin settle into the guest room and then show him around?" Blaine suggested. "We'll clean this up."
"And since we survived the flood, I vote for dinner out tonight. How about a meal at Tables and Chairs in the village?" Kurt asked.
"Yes!" Blaine and AJ said at the same time. AJ turned to Gavin and said, "You'll love it. They have the most amazing pasta ever! Come on, let's get your stuff." The boys headed towards the entry to pick up Gavin's luggage and then down the long hallway towards the guest room.
"I hope you don't mind staying here. There's plenty of space in my room, but, you know, my dads might get a little wigged out if we stayed in the same room," AJ said.
"Not a problem. My parents would do the same. So, ready to show me around the ranch?" Gavin asked.
"The ranch would be at my Nana and Papa's house. This," AJ said, grinning," is simply the mansion." Both boys laughed as the walked out the back door and onto the snow covered patio.
"Cool back yard!" AJ commented. "Is that a soccer goal down there?"
"Yep. Daddy B built it for me for my 8th birthday. I'd offer to scrimmage you, but the last time I tried that in the snow, things didn't work out so well," AJ said.
"Excuses, excused," Gavin teased. "A pool too, huh? Pretty fancy Mr. Hummel-Anderson."
"Yeah, especially since we can only use it a few months out of the year!" AJ moved closer to Gavin and noticed that he was rubbing his hands together to keep them warm. "Here," AJ said, extending his hand to Gavin. "Hold this."
Gavin grinned and said, "Thanks. That's nice. How in the world do your hands stay so warm?"
"Warm hands, cold heart?" AJ asked.
"I don't think that is possible," Gavin said, standing a little closer to AJ. AJ leaned his head on Gavin's shoulder and sighed.
"I'm really glad your parents ditched you for Thanksgiving break so that you could be here with me," AJ said, turning his head slightly to look at Gavin.
"Well, while I'd rather not think in terms of being ditched by my own family, I'm glad too. Your dads are great. I can see you in both of them."
"Looks or personality?" AJ asked.
"Both," Gavin replied, "but I think you look more like Blaine. Must be that wild hair!"
"Again with the hair?" AJ asked, lifting his head and placing his hands on his hips.
"And right there, you sound and act like Kurt! You are like the perfect blend of both of them!" Gavin said.
"We'd better get inside before we turn into human popsicles. I love it when it snows here! We should take a walk later." Both boys turned to go back into the house.
~oOo~
After another great meal at their favorite restaurant, Blaine told the boys they needed to stop at the grocery store before heading home. AJ looked Gavin, who looked back and nodded.
"Dads, we're not far from home. Mind if Gavin and I walk the rest of the way?"
"Will you be warm enough?" Kurt asked. "The snow is melting, but it's still kind of chilly."
"I think we'll be fine," Gavin said, pulling a pair of gloves out of his pocket.
"Well, I'm okay with it if you are," Blaine said, looking at Kurt. "See you at the house!" Both boys waved and headed to the sidewalk that would eventually deliver them to the Hummel-Anderson home. Just as they turned from the parking lot to the walkway, Gavin placed his hand in AJ's. They walked carefully, avoiding some of the soupy puddles that were formed as the temperature increased slightly and the snow melted.
"So, surfer boy, what do you think of the snow?" AJ asked
"This is nice," Gavin said. "We don't get a whole lot of snow in California. I remember a freak snowstorm when I was eight, but other than that, nothing. This isn't the first time I've seen snow, you know. My family skis at Tahoe and up at Whistler in Canada."
"I know. I'm just teasing. Gav, I hope you are having fun. My dads can be a little intense. I'm sure they are going to corner me later and want to know the scoop on us," AJ said quietly.
"Us?"
"Yeah, they are going to ask if we are dating, I just know it."
"What are you going to tell them?"
"Well, after I play dumb for a while (that drives them crazy!) I'll tell them the truth. I'll tell them that we're getting to know each other slowly and that we'll see from there. If that's what we're still doing…" AJ turned and looked at Gavin.
"Yes! Yes, I mean, if that's still in your plans…"
"Totally in my plans," AJ said, squeezing Gavin's hand. "Okay, brace yourself for movie night with my dads. First of all, we'll probably be watching some wonky classic from the 1970's. They have a constant conversation about the 'theatrics' of the production, so be ready for that," AJ said.
"I really miss movie nights with my family, so this will be nice," Gavin said.
"Oh, and there are the famous Blaine Brownies as well. I smelled them baking when we got home," AJ said.
"Yes!" Gavin said, raising his left fist. "Wow, we're here already. Thanks for the walk" Gavin leaned over and planed a kiss on AJ's cheek. AJ turned to Gavin and smiled.
The boys turned into the Hummel-Anderson driveway, stomped the snow from their boots, and made their way to the family room for movie night.
~oOo~
"Lemme guess," Gavin said, rubbing his eyes. "I fell asleep. How long did I last this time?"
AJ snorted, "I think you broke a record and lasted twenty whole minutes before you conked out! Good job! You'll be pleased to hear that you didn't snore this time! That's progress!"
"I still don't believe you about the snoring part," Gavin said, sitting up and running his hands through his hair. "Would it be rude to excuse myself and head to bed? I'm kind of tired, for some reason."
"That's not rude at all!" Kurt insisted. "You've had a long day. Make yourself at home and sleep as long as you'd like in the morning. No worries!"
"Well, I'll be off to bed then. Thank you, Kurt and Blaine, for having me over. I'm having a great time and I'm glad AJ talked me in to tagging along." Gavin then turned to AJ and fist bumped him once again, saying, "Good night, man. See you in the morning."
As soon as Gavin left, AJ knew that he'd be under attack. He decided to take matters into his own hands. Turning to his dads, he said, "Before you two start in, I want to let you know a few things. However, this talk will go better with the leftover brownies. Last one to the kitchen is a rotten egg!" AJ easily breezed past his dads, reaching the platter on the counter first. AJ wolfed down two brownies and patted his stomach in satisfaction. "I think you'll need to bake some of those and send them back to Dalton with me!" he said to Blaine. "Better yet, why don't you bake a batch a week and send them to me and then I can…"
"Okay AJ. Spill," Blaine said.
"Spill what?" AJ said, grinning.
"We know you are toying with us," Kurt said, "and you are starting to annoy the heck out of me. What's with you and Gavin?"
"Why, whatever do you mean?" AJ said, faking a confused look on his face, a grin forming after he could no longer pretend to be serious.
"AJ!" Kurt and Blaine said at the same time.
"Okay, okay, fine. So, do you like him?" AJ asked.
"He's a darling," Kurt responded. "In fact, I like him so much, I've considered adopting him to replace you if you don't cooperate with us."
"Would you really do that? Because if you did, I think you'd permanently damage me at this crucial point in my mid-to-late adolescent development. Abandonment issues account for 75% of all cases of…"
"Chiiiiild," Blaine drew the word out, letting AJ know that he was skating on thin ice.
"Fine," AJ said with a sigh, "what do you want to know. Wait. Let me guess. First, you want to know if Gavin is gay. The answer to that would be yes. He said he's known since he was really young. His family is pretty chill about it, as are all of his friends at home. He said he never had to come out because everyone always knew. Apparently, the West Coast is a lot more relaxed and liberal than we folk out in O-hi-o. Who knew? Which, if you think about it, is a strange location for a school as open as Dalton. But I digress. The second thing you are dying to know is if we are dating. Am I right?" Kurt and Blaine remained silent, trying to not look too anxious.
"And the answer to that would be…no…" Kurt really wanted to remain neutral, but his emotions, as always, were clearly displayed on his face.
"But I was sure…" Kurt began.
"Huh. I would have guessed…" Blaine said.
"Please! Let me finish! You know, it's a wonder I ever learned to talk at all growing up in this house. Honestly, you to jump in and interrupt all the time. Are you ready to listen?" AJ asked. Kurt and Blaine stopped talking and looked at their son. "As I was saying, we aren't dating, yet. Is it a possibility in the near future? Yes. I really like Gavin and he likes me. We understand each other and it feels like we've been friends a lot longer than we have. So for right now, we're just taking it slow. We hang out with our friends a lot. Sometimes we go out for coffee and, yes, we've been out on a few nights that we are forced to call 'dates.' As for anything official or exclusive, we're just not there yet. Neither of us is interested in rushing into anything. So there. Are you happy?"
Kurt and Blaine stood silently in the kitchen, looking at their son with admiration and pride. Kurt broke the silence, saying, "Blaine, how did we raise such a wise kid?" Tears started to form in Kurt's eyes. He looked over at Blaine, who was equally amazed at his son's mature outlook.
"He got it all from you, baby," Blaine said to Kurt, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "So, do your roommates know?"
"Yeah, I told them after Gavin and I confessed our passionate like for each other. Michael said, 'Cool!' and Jacob said, 'Well, I guess if you have two gay dads, that's always a possibility. Hey, wanna see the zombie masks we're going to wear under our lacrosse helmets to freak out the team we play next week?' And that's about as deep as our conversations go," AJ said with a sigh.
"So you're feeling okay about everything?" Blaine asked.
"Yeah, Dad. Everything is great. And because I know you both are dying to know, yes, we've kissed, but it wasn't anything hot and heavy. Just once, a quick, between-friends kiss."
"AJ, why would you assume we wanted to know that?" Kurt asked.
"Give it up, Dad. I know you better than that."
"AJ? We love you. And thanks," Kurt said.
"For what?"
"For keeping your old dads in the loop. You know you can always talk to us, right? We've kind of been down this path before."
"I know. Thanks for being as cool as you've always been. So, if we're done here, I'm heading upstairs to bed," AJ said, giving each of his dads a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Night, Daddies."
"Good night," Kurt and Blaine said in unison.
~oOo~
The rest of the holiday flew by, with a Thanksgiving meal, watching Kurt perform on stage in the city, and "the talk" that Kurt and Blaine insisted upon when they found out that AJ and Gavin were considering dating.
Far too soon, Blaine and Kurt delivered the boys to the airport for their flight back to Ohio. Kurt felt only a fraction better when AJ reminded him that they'd be together for the holidays in just a few weeks. Plans we made to spend time in Disneyland with Gavin and Gavin said his family would like to have the Hummel-Anderson's over for dinner on Christmas Eve. The boys were reminded that Grandpa Burt would meet them at baggage claim in Ohio. After one last round of hugs, the boys were sent on their way to go through security and to find their gate.
After boarding and settling in, Gavin said, "AJ, thank you. The holiday with your family was nothing short of wonderful. Thanks for including me in my orphaned state!"
"We really didn't do anything we don't normally do. You got a good taste of life in my family. My dads really like you. They told me they'd consider adopting you if I didn't work out as their son," AJ said, laughing.
"We're you that bad?" Gavin asked, smiling.
"They said it the night you went to bed after the movie. I told you they'd grill me! I'm sorry about 'the talk.' I have to say, it wasn't as bad as I thought it might be…"
Gavin cut AJ off. "I totally get where they are coming from. They only did it because they love you…"
"And you, as it appears! It's entirely possible that they love you more than they love me" AJ said.
"I'm serious, AJ. They just want us to be smart and there's nothing wrong with that," Gavin said.
"You are right. Sorry to make light. It was a nice thing for them to do. Even if parts were a bit embarrassing."
"No worse than a health class at Dalton. I'd rather talk birds and bees with your dads than Mr. Green. Kinda creepy," Gavin said. Just then, the plane began to pull away from the tunnel. AJ was not surprised when Gavin's hand found his way into his.
"Close your eyes and relax. We'll be in the air in a few minutes," AJ whispered into Gavin's ear. AJ watched Gavin relax a bit and grin. AJ stroked the back of Gavin's hand as the plane taxied and began to lift off. "You okay?" AJ asked quietly. Gavin nodded his head.
"Thank you. You make this okay," Gavin said, opening his eyes and looking directly into AJ's.
And it was at that moment that both boys knew, knew for sure where they were headed. AJ was the first to smile and speak. "So, are we going to do this?"
"Depends," Gavin replied, "what does 'this' mean?"
"Parachuting. I thought you knew…you didn't forget your chute, did you?" AJ asked, breaking out in that laughter that made his eyes squint. "Okay, I'm kidding. Are we dating?"
Gavin was quiet for a few seconds. He turned, took both of AJ's hands in his, looked him in the eyes and said, "I'd like nothing more. We're on!"
Unbeknownst to the boys, the woman sitting in front of them in first class smiled and silently clapped her hands. She'd been eavesdropping on the boys since she boarded. "Ain't young love grand?" she asked the stranger next to her. He nodded and went back to his newspaper.
~oOo~
And there we have it. It's official! These boys are just so darned cute!
We'll talk soon, you and me. I've already got the next story a-brewing.
GirlFromTheWestxxoo
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