Andy smiled as his finger idly skimmed along the row of books situated in the bookcase in Nathan’s room. The day before, when he and Nathan had come into the house—ideally to get Nathan’s beach gear—Andy was too busy touching and kissing Nathan to really notice the aesthetics of his room.

"Read much?" He questioned as he glanced over the titles. Nathan gave a soft awkward chuckle from his spot on his bed watching Andy.

“A person can never have too many books,” he replied with a small shrug. Andy nodded.

"True, true." He commented as he continued to glance around his room. He walked over to the large window where Nathan had a telescope set up. “So,” he said with a small teasing tone as he glanced through the telescope, “is this purely for astrological purposes or is it to spy on your neighbors too?” He grinned, turning to look at Nathan. Nate blushed.

"Maybe a little bit of both." He muttered. Andy chuckled and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside Nathan.

“I see,” he said. “So you’re not as innocent as you seem,” he teased. The blush on Nate's face just intensified.

“I think yesterday’s antics did away with that,” he mumbled. Andy grinned.

"I bet they did." Andy commented huskily. He pressed his lips to Nathan’s as his hand slid up his leg. He felt Nathan shudder below him as Andy slowly moved his hand under his shirt. “Something wrong?” He asked in an innocent tone, grinning against Nathan’s lips. Nathan shook his head.

“N…No,” he stammered.

"Good." Andy replied as he kissed Nathan deeper. Nathan moved his hands up to Andy’s shoulders, his fingers tangling in his hair.

“You sure your parents won’t be home anytime soon?” Andy whispered between kisses. Nathan’s heart skipped a beat at what that question implied. The day before the pair had moved forward in their brand new relationship but stayed on the somewhat innocent side of the line. Nathan had been to shy to go beyond anything underneath clothing, which Andy understood and was more than happy to work around. Nathan felt a little bolder today as Andy’s other hand gently slid up his pant leg.

“They’re doing some couple weekend over at some resort in Turtle Cove,” Nathan replied. “They won’t be back until tomorrow night.” Andy grinned and let his hand move up to the button of his jeans.

“Excellent,” he said, popping the button open. Nathan grinned shyly as the blush reappeared on his cheeks.

"It is?" He questioned. Andy grinned as he pushed Nathan's jeans down.

"Oh yes, it is,” he said as his hand moved over the front of Nathan’s boxers. Nathan bit his lip and shifted a bit on the bed with nervous excitement.

“Oh,” he muttered lamely. Andy’s grin widened.

“You’re so adorable,” he murmured as he pressed his lips to Nathan’s again. Nathan chuckled lightly as he kissed Andy back.

“So glad you find anxiety to be adorable,” he muttered. Andy chuckled.

“On you? Definitely,” he said, lightly nipping at Nathan’s lower lip as his hands moved to his leg, slowly slipping up the leg hole of Nathan’s boxers. Nathan’s eyes drifted shut, eagerly awaiting to see where that hand would end up.

“I don’t see why we had to leave,” came a voice from outside the house as a car door slammed. “So they mixed up our reservation, they still gave us a more than acceptable room.” Another car door was heard slamming, albeit much harder than the first door.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into staying one night in that travesty called a suite,” came the hissed reply. Nathan's eyebrows shot up as his entire body went tense.

"Oh no." He muttered. Andy chuckled.

“It’s okay, it’s your first time doing this sort of thing,” he murmured, assuming Nathan was getting more excited than one would expect before even being touched. Nathan rolled his eyes and pulled away from him.

“No, not that,” he said. “For the record, I don’t have a problem with…..that…” He added with a sharp defensive look. “My parents are home,” he said. Andy's eyebrows shot up.

"Uh oh." He replied in a similar manner. The sound of the front door opening and closing sprang the two into action as Nathan scrambled on the bed to get his pants back up and Andy moved back to give him room to do so.

“Nathan honey, are you home?” Mrs. Smith’s called out from the main level of the house.

“Of course he’s home,” came Mr. Smith’s reply. “Where else would he be?” He said. Andy frowned at the slight sneer he detected in the tone. He shook it off, chalking it up to just it seeming like that due to the voice coming from a distance and behind the closed bedroom door.

"Uh, I'm upstairs Mom!" Nathan yelled back as he secured his pants in place with his belt. Andy gave him a look.

“Are you sure you want to do that?” He whispered. Nathan sighed.

“Well unless you want to climb out my window, I’d say you’re trapped,” he replied. Nathan climbed off his bed, casting a frantic look around his room before an idea struck him. He pulled a large book from his bookcase and tossed it onto the bed. “Open that up, pretend you’re studying,” he suggested. Andy gave him an odd look but simply shrugged and pulled the book up on his lap as the footsteps outside the room got closer. Nathan ran a nervous hand through his hair and sat at his desk chair, nonchalantly turning it to face Andy, only to realize their previous actions had started to have an anatomical effect on him. “Crap,” he muttered, quickly grabbing a textbook from his desk and opening it up on his lap just as the door opened.

“Hi sweetie,” Mrs. Smith said as she popped her head in. She paused as she saw that her son wasn’t alone. “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company,” she said. Nathan nervously cleared his throat and nodded, turning to his mother.

“Oh yeah….Sorry….mom…this is Andy……I….um, I’m tutoring him for the summer,” he said lamely, hoping his mother believed him.

"Oh Nate, how kind of you." She cooed. Andy bit the inside of his cheek to keep from snickering. I kind of think I’m doing more of the tutoring here, he thought to himself. He quickly bit back his grin when Mrs. Smith gaze turned to him. “Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Andy,” she said. Andy returned the smile.

“Likewise, ma’am,” he said. Mrs. Smith looked back at her son.

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re making new friends,” she said with a motherly smile to her son. Nathan had always kept to himself. No matter how much she tried to coerce him to make friends it never worked.

“Mom,” Nathan groaned, his cheeks turning beet red. Andy smiled, sending a private look to Nathan.

“Oh I think we’re more than friends,” he said. Nathan gave him a sharp glare. Andy turned his gaze to Mrs. Smith. “I’d say we’re good friends…even best friends, Mrs. Smith,” he said with a small nod. She smiled and nodded approvingly.

"Well that’s wonderful; it’s nice to see Nathan making friends." She replied. She looked back at Nathan. “Nate, honey, maybe you should see if your new friend knows any nice girls he could set you up with,” she suggested. Andy snorted a bit, quickly hiding it with a cough as Nathan’s blush deepened.

"Mom." Nate groaned.

“Oh yes, Natalie, just leave your bags right by the door,” came an annoyed voice as a new set of footprints approached the room and Mr. Smith appeared in the doorway.

"Hi Dad." Nathan called, slightly glum. Mr. Smith’s eyes went to Nathan before looking over at Andy.

“What’s going on in here?” He questioned. Mrs. Smith smiled.

“Nathan’s just tutoring his new friend Andy,” she answered. “Isn’t that sweet?” She asked.

"Oh it's just wonderful." He snapped. Mrs. Smith jumped a bit at his tone and quickly looked away as Nathan simply lowered his head, his shoulders slumping a bit. Andy looked at the three of them, trying to figure out what to do.

“Um, yeah,” he said, combating the oncoming awkward silence. He looked down at the two books he and Nathan had opened to say what Nathan was helping him with, only to realize they were of two separate subjects. “He’s helping me get ready for the SATs,” he said, looking at the parents. “We’re both taking this prep course with one of our teachers,” he explained, figuring the lie they’d used for Mia’s parents could work for all parental units. “I was having trouble with some of the subjects so Nate offered to give some extra help.” Mr. Smith snorted.

"Figures." He replied sourly. He gave his son a hard look. “What do you need a prep course for? I thought you were the child genius, what could you possibly need to prep for?”

“Harold,” Mrs. Smith chastised gently. Mr. Smith ignored her as his eyes narrowed at Nathan.

“This had better not be costing any money,” he warned.

“N..No, sir,” Nathan muttered. “Ms. Ford’s just….doing it for free.”

"Perfect." He replied. The room was engulfed in a tense quiet before Nathan cleared his throat.

“I…thought you guys were going to be on…your vacation, until tomorrow,” Nathan said carefully.

“Oh there was a little mix up with our reservation,” Mrs. Smith said lightly. “Your father felt it was best we just rest up from the trip there and come home.” A snort erupted from Mr. Smith.

"A mix up? More like a fuck up if you ask me. Goddamn people can never get anything right." He snarled.

“Of course, dear,” Mrs. Smith said, with a nod. She shrugged. “I thought the resort would be good,” she said. “The Torkelsons down the street recommended it. They said the staff there was-“

“Well clearly the Torkelsons are morons,” Mr. Smith hissed. Nathan swallowed thickly and cast an ashamed look towards Andy. Mrs. Smith turned and smiled at her husband.

"Well, let’s just enjoy the rest of the weekend here then." She replied. Mr. Smith rolled his eyes.

“Why don’t you just go get your bags from the front hallway,” he replied with an annoyed tone. Mrs. Smith sighed.

"Alright, I will." She replied. She looked back at Andy and Nathan and gave Andy a small smile. “It was lovely meeting you, Andy,” she said. Andy gave a small nod.

“It was nice meeting you too, ma’am,” he replied. Mrs. Smith gave him a tiny nod before leaving the room. Mr. Smith watched her leave before turning his gaze to the two boys. Andy jumped a bit at the hard glare he was sending their way, more specifically his way.

"Nathan isn't teaching you anything." Mr. Smith snapped at Andy, who jumped slightly. "Although I'm convinced that you're giving him a lesson or two in other departments.” Andy blinked, caught off guard by that statement.

“Uh…I’m sorry I don’t think I follow, sir,” he said.

"I think you know what I mean." Mr. Smith hissed. Nathan looked from his father to Andy, nervously biting his lip as he closed the book he had on his lap. The appearance of his parents in his doorway and the tension the second his father first addressed them had effectively remedy the problem he had been facing before.

“Uh, you know what, I think we’ll just leave you and mom to enjoy the rest of your vacation weekend,” Nathan muttered nervously. “We’ll go study at the library or something.” Andy looked over at Nathan and gave an agreeing nod.

“Yeah, I heard they have a lot of….SAT workbooks there,” he muttered as he shut the book he had on his lap and slid it down to the bed. He got up from the bed and looked over at Nathan. He considered going over to him but he figured if Mr. Smith had some problem about Andy being in the same room as Nathan, he’d have a conniption of Andy stood too close to Nathan. Nathan stood up and placed the book on his desk.

"Yeah...Lets go." He commented. Mr. Smith stood in the doorway simply glaring at them.

“Sweetheart, can you give me some help down here? The bags are a little heavy,” Mrs. Smith called to her husband from the front hallway of the house.

"Coming!" Mr. Smith barked. Nathan let out a quiet relieved sigh and mentally thanked his mother as he watched his father give them one last glare before stalking out of the room. There was silence as they heard Nathan's father tromp down the stairs. Andy looked at his boyfriend.

"What was that all about?" He questioned quietly. Nathan looked over at him and shook his head.

“It’s nothing,” he said in a small voice. “My dad’s just….not a people person sometimes.” Andy raised an eyebrow.

"Only sometimes?"

“Just drop it, okay?” Nathan snapped. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “Let’s just go.” Andy raised his hands.

"I'm sorry." He replied. Nathan shook his head.

“Forget it,” he said. “Come on, we can go out through the back door,” he said as he placed a hand on Andy’s arm to usher him out of the room.

"Ok." Andy replied as they headed out of the bedroom. Andy followed Nathan down the stairs and through the living room as they walked to the kitchen. Nathan walked to the door and placed his hand on the knob. He cast a careful look behind them before slowly inching the door open. Once the door was open enough to pass through, he stepped aside to let Andy go through first. Andy slipped past him and walked out of the house. Nathan followed, carefully pulling the door shut behind him.

"Lets go," Nathan commented as they headed towards Andy's car. Andy nodded as the two reached the car and climbed in.

“Where to?” Andy asked. Nathan shrugged.

“Anywhere,” he muttered.

"Ok." Andy replied as he pulled away from the curb. The two rode in silence as Andy drove away from the house while Nathan stared down at his hands. After a few minutes they drove along the edge of the park. Andy could no longer take the silence and slowed the car to a stop before parking it. He turned to Nathan.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked, reaching over to take Nathan’s hands in his. Nathan shrugged.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” he muttered. “My dad can be a little hard to take, that’s all.”

"Right...And his hostile comments towards me in regards to 'teaching you other things' was what then?" He replied. Nathan shrugged.

“No clue,” he lied. Andy sighed and looked out the windshield.

“You know as much as I do that’s not true,” Andy said. Nathan sighed as he looked down.

“Just forget it, please?” He pleaded. Andy looked back at Nathan and shook his head. He slid closer to him and placed his hands on the sides of Nathan’s face, gently lifting his head up so their eyes met.

“I can’t just forget it when it looks like my boyfriend’s living in a hostile environment,” he told him in a tender tone. Nathan sighed.

“It’s not hostile,” he replied, shrugging as he slid out of Andy’s hold.

"Ah yes, I forgot that most families scream and argue and swear at one another all the time." He replied non-chanalantly. Nathan rolled his eyes.

“Well I’m sorry Andy, but not everyone has sweet and quirky parents like you and Mia,” he spat out. “Doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with them.”

“He was treating you like dirt,” Andy replied. “There’s definitely something wrong with that.”

"Just drop it Andy!" Nathan replied angrily. Andy’s eyes widened and he sat back.

“I’m just trying to help,” Andy stated.

"And you're doing a shit hot job at it." Nathan snapped. Andy blinked and pursed his lips for a long moment before speaking.

“Wow,” he breathed out, shaking his head. He shook his head. “You know what, maybe you were right yesterday,” he said. “Maybe this isn’t going to work.”

"Excuse me?" Nathan replied, his head turning slightly to face Andy.

“You heard me,” Andy muttered.

"Great, so you just want to break up then. Fantastic." Nathan snapped. Andy looked at him sharply.

“Well what do you want me to do?” He snapped back. “I try to talk to you and you bite my head off. So tell me Nathan, what do you want me to do?”

"I don't know!" Nathan replied calmly. He looked away. “So, what is it then, things don’t happen the way you want them to so you bail?” Nathan asked. Andy had told him about finding Mia and Christian together and the confrontation that had come out of it. He had thought it wasn’t the best course of action but figured Andy and Mia were close. Maybe Andy did know what was best for Mia and had to be pushy to make her see it. But now that he was seeing this behavior he had to wonder if it was just an innate part of Andy. Andy said nothing in reply. Nathan looked down.

“Well, I guess I should feel special. I thought the whole ‘make this easy for me or I’m gone’ thing was just for Mia. So, if you’re pulling it now I guess it puts me up there on the list, right?” He said sardonically. Andy ran his hands over his face and sighed.

“Maybe it’ll be better this way,” he muttered. “It’s pretty clear your dad doesn’t have warm fuzzy thoughts about me or the idea of us being on the same planet let alone in the same room.”

"Well it doesn't exactly help things that you're so open with everything." Nathan replied. Andy gave him a sharp look.

“Oh, so because I’m not in the closet it gives your dad an excuse to be a nasty piece of work?” He asked.

"Apparently."

“Well I’m sorry for being so selfish by deciding I wanted to be honest with myself and those I care about,” Andy spat out harshly. Nathan looked down.

"Your parents are understanding at least." He commented quietly.

“If your dad, or anyone else for that matter, can’t accept you for who you are that’s not your problem, it’s theirs,” Andy replied.

“That’s easy for you to say,” Nathan replied bitterly.

"Why?" Andy questioned.

“Well you said it yourself yesterday, people in your life had their suspicions about it before you even came out to them. They were okay and accepting about it before you even had to make the choice of being honest. Some people don’t have that luxury. Some people already know that if they make that choice the outcome won’t be as great,” Nathan replied.

“So you decide then to just live a lie just so people accept you?” Andy asked. He gave Nathan a look. “Although it doesn’t seem like your dad really accepts you as is,” Andy said, thinking about the sneering tones Mr. Smith had taken when it came to Nathan’s intelligence. Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Up until I was actually born, my parents thought that I was going to be a girl." He replied sourly.

“So?” Andy asked. “That doesn’t give your dad a reason to treat you the way he does.” Nathan sighed.

“My dad wanted a boy,” he said.

“And he got a boy, so what’s your point?” Andy asked. Nathan shook his head.

“He lowered his expectations when he and my mom thought they were having a girl. But when I was born, my dad’s expectations and hopes went up again. He thought he’d have a son just like him--into sports, big man on campus just like he was in high school, everything,” he replied. “Obviously, that’s not me,” he said. “As far as my dad sees it, I’ve just been an ongoing disappointment.” Andy rolled his eyes.

"Most parents would be thrilled to have a genius son,” he said. “You’ve got MIT and Harvard pretty much holding a steel cage match to the death in Cambridge Massachusetts over you. Your parents should be thanking their lucky stars and breaking out the east coast genius love.”

“My dad would be happier if it was some second rate college in the Midwest giving me a football scholarship. Anything below that and it’s nothing as far as he cares.” Nate replied bitterly. "It doesn't matter if I could cure Cancer or walk on the moon... I won't be throwing a touchdown for the Green Bay Jets anytime soon."

“Packers,” Andy replied gently. Nathan gave him an odd look.

“What?” He asked. Andy bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling.

“It’s the Green Bay Packers. There’s a Green Bay Packers and a Jets, but there’s no Green Bay Jets,” he gently pointed out. Nathan rolled his eyes.

"Fantastic...My dad should love you, not hate you... You know sports crap."

“Barely,” Andy said. “It comes with having Cheesehead cousins who go apeshit if the Packers show even a remote possibility of being in the Super Bowl,” he smiled. “I’m more of an aquatic sports kind of guy.”

"Its still a sports form." Nathan argued.

“Yeah well something tells me your dad doesn’t exactly see surfing as football’s equal,” he said. Nathan shrugged. “What about your mom? Have you thought about coming out to her? She seems nice,” Andy said.

"I would...But she's petrified of my father's reaction to something like that,” Nathan replied. Andy gave him a careful look.

“Nate….your dad, he’s…..never hit you or your mom or anything, has he?” He asked. Nathan shook his head.

"No, he's never hit…” He replied, only answering half of Andy's question as he let his voice trail off.

“Nate?” Andy pressed. Nathan shook his head.

“He’s not abusive,” he quickly spat out. “He’s never hit us, so…Just drop it, okay?” He asked.

"There are different forms of abuse...Not just physical." Andy muttered lowly. Nathan shook his head.

“He’s not abusive; just let it go, okay?” Nathan said. He looked down. “Anyway, you were just saying this isn’t going to work, so why don’t we just end the conversation all together?” He said as he went to open the door and leave the car.

"Wait," Andy pleaded. Nathan ignored his plea and got out of the car, slamming the door behind him. Andy threw his door open and scrambled out of the car. "Nate, please." Andy continued to plead. Nathan looked at him.

“Please what? You’re the one who said it,” he spat out with a shrug. “So just go and find yourself some good looking surfer guy whose parents love you and leave me alone.”

"I don't want a good looking surfer guy whose parents love me!" Andy replied as he continued to move towards Nate. "I want you."

“No you don’t,” Nathan replied.

"Yes, I do." Andy replied as he closed the distance.

“I’m sure there’s a bunch of other little nerd boys you can have your fun with,” Nathan said, looking away. He went to move back but Andy quickly caught his arm and pulled Nathan to him.

“Well that’s too bad for them, because you’re the only one I want,” he replied.

"Bullshit." Nathan replied. Andy sighed.

“I’m sorry your dad’s brainwashed you into thinking you’ve got nothing to offer or whatever it is that’s bringing this out,” he said. “But get it through your nerd boy genius head,” he added as he got closer to Nathan. “I want you.” Nathan looked away before speaking.

"Why?" He questioned. Andy placed a finger under Nathan’s chin and lifted his face up so their eyes met again.

“I could tell you,” he said with a gentle smile. “But if I stood here and listed off all your desirable qualities, we’d be standing here ‘till next week.” Nathan lowered his eyes.

“I can’t come out to my parents,” he whispered. “I can’t be open like you.” Andy put his hands on Nathan's cheeks.

"Then don't." He replied. Nathan snorted.

“You’re the one implying that not coming out is the same as being a liar,” Nathan said.

"It's a different situation now." Andy replied. Nathan sighed, closing his eyes.

“My parents can’t find out,” he muttered. Andy rubbed his arms affectionately.

"They won't...Don't worry,” he said. He gave Nathan a small grin. “Guess we’ll just have to settle for doing stuff at my house,” he said in a light tone, hoping it’d make Nathan laugh or at least feel better in some way.

"Yeah." Was all that Nate replied with. Andy went to place a soft kiss on his lips but Nathan turned his head away. “Someone might see,” he muttered. Andy stopped short at Nathan's words and sighed lightly.

"You're right." He replied. Nathan closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he said. Andy gave Nathan a half smile.

"Don't be." He replied. He let his hands slide off of Nathan’s arms. “Let’s go back to the car,” he said. Nathan nodded.

"Okay." he replied. Andy turned and walked back to the car with Nathan trailing behind him. Once they reached it, they wordlessly climbed in and pulled the doors shut behind them. Once in, Andy reached over and took hold of Nathan’s hand.

"What do you want to do now?" Andy questioned as he gave Nathan's hand a gentle squeeze. Nathan responded with a slight shrug.

“I don’t know,” he said.

"Do you want to come over and watch a movie?" Andy questioned. Nathan nodded.

“Yeah, that…that sounds good,” he said. Andy smiled as placed a light kiss on Nathan's cheek.

"Good." Nathan blushed lightly while Andy released his hand and started the car up. The ride to Andy's was very silent. Nathan didn't have a lot to say in regards to the previous situation, and spent the majority of the ride looking out the window. They soon pulled up to a two story Victorian styled house painted in a soft powdered blue color with white edges on the corners, windows and doorway. Nathan raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Nice house." He commented. Andy grinned.

"My mom's an interior designer.. She just about flipped when she found this house... Wait till you see the inside." He replied as they climbed out of the car. Nathan walked around the car to join Andy as he put a hand on his back to guide him up the driveway and to the wide porch. The two walked up to the front door as Andy fished his keys back out of his pocket. He edged in front of Nathan to reach the door before unlocking it and pushing it open, stepping aside to let Nathan in first. Nathan shot him a small smile as he stepped into the house. Andy followed him in, shutting the door behind him.

“Wow,” Nathan said in a soft whisper as his eyes fell on the inside of the house. They stood in the front hallway of the house that led to the living room. Before them was an elegant staircase that led to the second level of the house. Andy grinned.

"I told you so." He replied, slightly mocking. Nathan rolled his eyes and turned to look at him.

“Yeah, I guess you did,” he replied.

"Come on." Andy grinned as he grabbed Nathan's hand. "Let me show you the rest of the house." Nathan nodded and let himself be led deeper into the house. His eyes glanced up, fixating on the stunning chandelier that looked like it could light up the whole room and then some. They wandered into the kitchen which was just as beautiful at the entrance way had been. A beautiful bay window overlooked the patio and backyard. “Back when we moved here, mom actually tracked down the perfect house to work with,” Andy said. Nathan looked at him.

“I thought you lived here all your life, like Mia,” he said. Andy shook his head.

“Almost all my life,” Andy corrected. “I met Mia a few weeks after we moved here from Wisconsin when I was two.”

"Oh okay." Nathan replied, nodding.

“Mom wanted to move somewhere more...sunny, I guess, a little after I was born,” Andy said with a small shrug to himself. “I guess she thought Wisconsin wasn’t a fun enough place to raise a kid,” he chuckled. “Dad of course gave in and looked into transferring to California.”

“And to make a long story short, came here as a criminal defense lawyer, somehow landed on the prosecuting side of the fence a few years later, worked my way up the ranks as an ADA and am now the best District Attorney this town has ever seen,” came a chuckling voice from behind them. The two boys turned to see an older man with an amused look on his face.

“I thought you said you were making a long story short,” Andy said with a smirk. Mr. Baxter laughed.

“It was short enough,” he said with a shrug. He stood up from his perch leaning against the kitchen archway and made his way to refrigerator.

“I thought you were playing golf with Judge something or other today,” Andy commented as his father pulled out a can of soda. Mr. Baxter looked at his son.

“I did,” he said. “Our tee time was 9:30, how long do you think it takes to play a round of golf?” He asked with a chuckle. Andy shrugged.

"Dad, at the rate you move, a year maybe." He joked. Mr. Baxter rolled his eyes as he kicked the refrigerator door shut and popped his soda can open, his eyes landing on Nathan.

“Well,” Mr. Baxter said as he looked back at his son. “Andrew, aren’t you going to introduce your friend?” He asked, taking a sip from his can. Nathan suddenly felt self conscious and slipped his hand out of Andy’s. Andy looked at him and gave him a reassuring smile before he took hold of his hand again.

"Dad, this is Nate. Nate, this is my dad,” he said. Mr. Baxter gave Nathan a friendly smile.

“It’s nice to meet you Nate,” he said. Nathan nodded.

“It’s nice to meet you too, sir,” he said. “Um….your house….it’s amazing,” he said lamely, trying to make pleasant conversation. Mr. Baxter chuckled.

“I’ll pass that message along to Mrs. Baxter,” he said. “It’s all her doing. I know nothing about color schemes or home décor,” he said.

"That, and he just doesn't really care." Andy chimed in.

“Well it’s hard to care about something you know nothing about,” Mr. Baxter pointed out in a teasing tone.

“True,” Andy nodded, shrugging. “Every time you talk about your golf swing or how much the new drivers and nine irons cost, I just tune out.” Mr. Baxter just laughed.

"One day you'll need to know stuff like that, and I won't be around to teach you kiddo." He replied.

“Sure dad, whatever you say,” Andy chuckled. Mr. Baxter just grinned.

"How was your SAT study session today?" He questioned.

“Uh, it went well,” Andy said with a firm nod, choosing not to mention the fact that his teacher was now in the hospital, since that would only lead to having to explain why she was in the hospital and he couldn’t think of a good enough lie at that moment.

"Well that’s good! I'm glad you're spending your summer doing something worthwhile that'll help towards your future." He replied. Andy rolled his eyes.

“And the thinly veiled negative comments about surfing begin……now,” he muttered. Mr. Baxter sighed and walked around the kitchen island to stand beside Andy. He reached over and ruffled Andy’s hair.

“You know your mother and I have nothing against you delving into any pastime you enjoy. Surfing makes you happy, that’s good. We just wish sometimes you’d devote just half the energy you give to surfing to schoolwork,” he said. Andy sighed, ducking his head out from under his father’s hand.

"School's overrated." He replied.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Nathan said with a light smile. Mr. Baxter turned his gaze onto him.

“Well that’s refreshing, a young man who doesn’t scoff at education,” he said in a light teasing tone to Andy. “And here I thought that only came from Mia’s brothers and their parents not so gentle prodding,” he chuckled, “So, Nate, have you given any thought to post-high school plans?” He curiously asked.

“Some,” he replied. The affectionate repartee going on between Andy and Mr. Baxter was easing some of Nathan’s self conscious feeling but he still wasn’t sure how much he should talk about himself.

"Oh?" Mr. Baxter questioned. "Like what?"

“Uh, well, I really want to go to MIT or Harvard,” he said. Mr. Baxter’s eyes lit up at that.

“Oh, that wasn’t wise,” Andy muttered to Nathan.

“Harvard, really?” Mr. Baxter asked, impressed. “Has Andrew mentioned I went to Harvard Law School?” He asked. Nathan shook his head.

"No, he hadn't." He replied. Andy rolled his eyes at his father.

“We haven’t exactly reached the ‘oh this is where my parents matriculated’ conversation yet,” he said mockingly. Mr. Baxter chuckled.

“Alright, alright, I get it,” he said, noting that Andy was fixing him with an annoyed look. He gave the two of them a smile. “Well, I should probably get back to looking over those files for Monday’s trial,” he said, turning to go back to his study. He looked back at the two young men and gave Nathan a friendly smile. “It was nice meeting you Nate,” he said. Nathan nodded.

"Likewise sir." He replied. Mr. Baxter gave a small nod before leaving the kitchen. They watched him leave before glancing at one another.

"So that’s my dad." Andy commented. Nathan smiled.

“He’s nice,” Nathan replied.

"Uh huh." Andy replied. He let Nathan’s hand slip out of his grasp as he made his way to the refrigerator. “Do you want anything to eat or anything?” He asked. Nathan shook his head.

"I'm good thanks." Andy nodded and walked back over to him.

“Alright,” he said. He smiled and slid his arms around Nathan’s shoulders. “You know,” he said, “I haven’t kissed you in a while, I think I’m seconds away from going through the first stages of withdrawal,” he smiled, drawing Nathan closer. Nathan blushed. Although he wanted to feel Andy’s lips on his, he was apprehensive of engaging in any sort of lip lock now knowing that Mr. Baxter was just a room away. He opened his mouth to give a gentle protest when the front door opened and shut.

“Anybody home?” Called a feminine voice from the front hall of the house. Andy rolled his eyes.

"And again with the interruptions." He muttered under his breath, as if he were reading Nathan's thoughts. High heeled footsteps clicked outside the kitchen before a middle aged woman with blonde hair pulled back in a stylish yet professional bun and dressed in black tailored slacks and a lilac jacket entered the kitchen. Her flawlessly make-up covered face broke out into a smile when she saw Andy.

“Hi honey,” she said as she placed her black handbag on the kitchen island.

“Hi mom." He replied. Mrs. Baxter balanced herself against the counter with one hand as she pulled off her shoes with the other.

“Oh, hello,” she said, finally noticing Nathan standing there. Her eyes went back to Andy, giving him a knowing smile. “I didn’t know we had company,” she said. Andy nodded.

"Mom, Nate. Nate, mom."

“Hello, Nate,” Mrs. Baxter said before letting her stocking clad feet lead her over to them and extending her hand to him. Nathan placed his hand in hers as the two shook hands.

“It’s nice to meet you ma’am,” he said politely as their hands slid apart. Mrs. Baxter gave a small chuckle.

“Oh please, don’t call me ma’am, it makes me feel so old,” she said. Andy smirked.

“Well, you are old,” he replied. Mrs. Baxter fixed him with a playful glare and poked his side.

“Watch it, kid,” she teasingly threatened. Andy just grinned in return. Mrs. Baxter shook her head in amusement before walking over to the refrigerator. “Is your father home?” She asked over her shoulder as she opened the refrigerator and retrieved a bottle of water.

“He’s in his study,” Andy replied.

"Will you be staying for dinner tonight Nate?" She asked. Nathan blinked.

“Oh…uh….I don’t know…I mean…” He muttered, letting his voice trail off. Mrs. Baxter turned to look at him and smiled.

“You’re welcomed to, if you like,” she said. “Any….friend…” she said, giving Andy a light knowing smile, “of Andy’s is a friend of ours,” she said referring to herself and her husband.

“Mom, how’d that consultation with the Layton’s go?” Andy interjected, hoping to distract his mother from embarrassing him or Nathan. Mrs. Baxter took a sip of water before addressing her son.

“Oh, it went well,” she said. “After I talked Mrs. Layton down from the floral and stripes ledge,” she chuckled. Andy just shook his head.

"What a crazy old woman." He muttered.

“What’s wrong with floral and stripes?” Nathan asked curiously.

“Well, separately, nothing,” she explained. “But…the two don’t exactly work well together.”

"Do you remember the Britney Spears train wreck of 2010?" Andy questioned. Nathan just nodded in reply. "Imagine that... But in stripes and florals...On a wall." Nathan did his best to understand but he still wasn’t quite clear. He figured that Mrs. Baxter, as an interior designer, would know best and simply nodded.

“Oh,” he said.

"Uh huh." Andy replied.

“Well then,” Mrs. Baxter said as she took a sip of water. “I guess I’ll go see what your father’s up to,” she said, giving Andy a smile before she left the kitchen. Nathan watched Mrs. Baxter leave and turned to look at Andy.

“You don’t have any siblings or pets that will now suddenly show up, do you?” He asked with a small smile. Andy grinned.

"No, that's it." He replied. Nathan nodded.

“Good,” he said. Andy’s grin only grew as he slowly put his arms around Nathan.

“Oh, is it?” He murmured. Nathan blushed.

"Uh huh." Andy gave a soft chuckle.

“Well, I’m glad you think that’s good,” he said in a light teasing tone before pressing his lips to Nathan’s.

“Wait, what if your parents come back in here?” Nathan mumbled against Andy’s lips. Andy pulled back to look at him.

“Is that your way of saying you want to go upstairs?” He grinned. Nathan’s blush intensified.

“Wh….no….I mean….um…” He looked down, his cheeks burning a bright crimson. Andy just chuckled.

"Come on." He replied. He stepped away from Nathan and took hold of his hand, leading him out of the kitchen and back to the stairs.

“Andy, honey,” Mrs. Baxter rang out from the study. Andy sighed and looked back down the hall.

“Yeah?” He asked. Mrs. Baxter’s head popped out from one of the doors down the long hallway and she motioned him towards her. Andy looked back at Nathan. “Wait here,” he said. Nathan nodded. Andy released his hand and walked over to his mother. “What?” He asked. Mrs. Baxter gave him a small smile.

“Keep your door open, you know the rules,” she said in a quiet tone. Andy rolled his eyes.

“Mom,” he groaned. She fixed him with a motherly glare.

"Andrew Baxter, you know the rules." She replied.

“We’re not going to do anything,” Andy replied. Mrs. Baxter nodded.

“Alright then leaving your door open shouldn’t be a problem, right?” She said. Andy huffed out a sigh.

"Fine." He replied grumpily. He turned and went to walk back to Nathan.

“Oh, and sweetie?” She beckoned.

“What now?” Andy groaned, turning back to her. She smiled.

“He seems like a very nice boy, your father and I approve,” she said. Andy rolled his eyes.

“Gee, thanks,” he said. Mrs. Baxter chuckled and placed a motherly peck on his cheek.

“Go have fun,” she said, patting his shoulder to send him on his way. “Just not too much fun,” she added. Andy rolled his eyes again and turned away from her.

“Just one more year and I can move out, just one more year and I can move out,” he muttered to himself as he walked back to Nathan. Nathan tilted his head and looked at Andy.

"Getting any answers from talking to yourself?" He questioned. Andy blinked and looked at him.

“Hmm? Oh, sorry, just thinking out loud,” he said. He reached Nathan’s side and took hold of his hand again. “Shall we?” He asked, gesturing up the stairs. Nathan smiled softly.

"Sure." He replied. Andy smiled.

“Great,” he said as he led Nathan up the stairs. Nathan simply followed him as they reached the second level of the house and Andy led him down the door filled hallway before opening one of the doors. "My room." Andy announced as he stepped into the bright room. Nathan smiled and followed him in. He turned to look at Andy who went to close his door before stopping, rolling his eyes and leaving it open.

“Something wrong?” Nathan asked. Andy shook his head.

“Nope, everything’s fine,” he said, turning to Nathan. He smiled and slipped his arms around his waist before pulling him close. “Everything’s perfectly fine,” he grinned, capturing Nathan’s lips in a gentle kiss. Nathan smiled against his lips.

“Great,” he murmured. Andy smiled and backed him up to the bed. The back of Nathan’s legs hit the edge of the bed. “Are you sure we should be doing this with your parents downstairs?” He asked. Andy tightened his hold on him.

“As long as they can look up the stairs and see the door’s open, they’re not going to come up here,” Andy chuckled.

"Good to know." Nathan replied. He slipped his arms around Andy’s neck as the two met for another kiss.