The next morning Jared was shockingly normal.

He knocked on Travis' door when he was running late and chatted easily while they walked to school.

That moment in Jared's bedroom kept replaying in Travis' mind though, and he wasn't quite able to match the level of friendliness that Jared seemed to have mastered.

As usual, they went their separate ways as soon as they entered the building. Travis was grateful for that and managed not to think about Jared once until he sank into the seat next to him in history.

Travis watched Jared unpack his things out the corner of his eye. He shifted, feeling like he should say something. Try to keep up pretenses as much as possible, but Mrs. McAllen entered entered before he could think of anything.

"Good morning," she said cheerily.

This time, her gaze sought Travis out before she even read attendance.

"I'll have that essay now, Travis," she said before taking a seat at her desk.

Travis swallowed. He hadn't managed to finish even one of his assignments. How the hell was he supposed to with Jared around distracting him?

What was he supposed to say? This was supposed to make up for the classes and unit test he'd missed. He'd need like a ninety on the exam without it.

Jared cleared his throat awkwardly just as Travis opened his mouth to speak and face the consequences.

Travis looked at Jared. He was giving Travis an odd look, gesturing with his eyes to the stack of paper that he had set in between them.

Travis' jaw dropped.

The small stack of paper had Travis' name typed across the top.

He looked at Jared and the blond shrugged awkwardly and looked away. Stunned, Travis took the essay and walked it to the front of the room.

Mrs. McAllen didn't seem to notice that anything was amiss. She smiled and thanked him and waited for him to return to his seat before beginning class.

Travis couldn't really pay attention to it though. Not with his mind reeling over this.

Jared was always nice, but this went above and beyond. Was it supposed to be some sort of peace offering? Was he trying to win Travis over?

A warm hand fell gently onto his thigh under the table. He glanced at Jared. His friend didn't meet his gaze but he squeezed Travis' leg almost comfortingly.

It wasn't comforting though, just more confusing.

When the bell rang for lunch Jared finally removed his hand, packing his things silently.

"Thanks," Travis muttered quietly as the class filed out.

Jared flushed and shrugged.

"It was nothing," he said. He waited for Mrs. McAllen to go, leaving them alone in the classroom before he went on. "It's just a stupid project," he said. "There's no reason to flunk because of it."

He hesitated a moment, the pink in his cheeks deepening as he looked down at Travis, still planted in his seat. Finally, he reached into his bag and pulled out more papers, handing them to Travis.

Travis gaped at the pile. All of the questions for calculus and another essay for English.

"I don't have chemistry though, so you're on your own there," Jared said.

"Mr. Slater gave me the week to do it..." Travis said.

"That's good."

He slung his bag onto his shoulder, clearly planning to leave. But he couldn't just walk off with Travis getting more and more confused by the day and by the minute. That wouldn't be fair.

"Wait," he said.

Jared did, at once, hope written across his face as he stood there.

"Can we--I don't know--talk?" Travis said self-consciously.

A sigh of relief escaped Jared and he sank back down into his seat.

"I thought you'd never ask," he said. "I mean, I wanted you to, but you're not usually the type, you're so pent up."

He snapped his mouth shut, physically stopping himself from going on, which was good because Travis had a feeling that anymore would have been offensive.

"Right," he said.

He looked around, wondering what the heck he had been planning to say. Oh yeah, nothing.

Travis wasn't much of the forethought type.

"Look, about yesterday," Jared said, taking the reigns for him. Travis flushed at the mention of it. Oh god, he did not want to get into another argument over it. "I was thinking about it, a lot and... it wasn't really fair how I acted."

Surprised, Travis stared at Jared, unable to form words.

Their eyes met and Jared flushed.

"I've had a lot more time to get use to this," he said.

"Fooling around with friends?" Travis asked, his eyes wide. Today Jared was just full of surprises.

"No," Jared said with a huff of laughter. "Fooling around with guys."

"Oh," Travis said.

That wasn't any less surprising. Jared had fooled around with guys. Plural. He probably had loads of experience. Why did that make Travis want to leave all of a sudden? Why did he suddenly, viciously want to run and hide and forget what his friend had just said?

"Why do I feel like you're misunderstanding me?" Jared asked.

Travis grudgingly glanced up. Jared was peering at him closely, his big eyes narrowed as he tried to read Travis.

"What are you thinking?" he asked.

Travis shrugged and then decided to say it, despite himself.

"How many guys have you--done stuff--with?"

Jared face morphed, first shock, then amusement made his lips part and twitch at the corners, and then a gentle calm graced his eyes. Comforting.

"Just you," he said. He placed a hand over Travis' where it sat on the desk. "You're my first everything, Travis."

Relief flooded Travis. He didn't like that it did, but he couldn't deny that he was glad to know Jared had never been involved with anyone else. It made him feel special.

He looked away, feeling his cheeks heat.

"Did your dad say anything?" Travis asked.

"Both of my parents asked where you went, but nothing else was mentioned. To be honest, I actually don't think he saw anything. I'm so fast, I'm like a ninja."

Travis rolled his eyes.

Jared was an idiot. But there were serious things at hand and Travis didn't know who else to ask about them.

"So you think it's normal that I freaked out?" he asked.

Jared nodded emphatically.

"Definitely."

Travis took a breath.

"I like your dad," he admitted. "I don't want him to think I'm..."

"You're what?"

"I don't want anyone to think I'm..."

Jesus, why did he want to start this conversation again? A niggling, persistent voice in his head decided to point out that he was missing his lunch hour and should probably go now.

Jared squeezed the hand that he was still holding, managing to pull Travis' attention back to the present.

"You know," Jared said. "You don't need to stress over us."

Even the word us made Travis sit unconsciously straighter, the hairs rising up his neck like he was in danger.

"I just like that you're being so open with me," Jared said. His voice dropped and he looked down. "I don't want to scare you away."

Travis instantly was reminded of yesterday, sitting on that chair in his room, feeling like Jared was pushing him. He bit his lip. He wouldn't tell him that. He couldn't. Not when Jared looked like a lost puppy over that exact fear.

"We can just be friends," Jared said, looking up at him. "And anything else you want to do, whenever you want to do it, I'm in."

His green eyes bore into Travis', gauging his reaction.

Travis didn't know what to make of it. It was like he was being offered a no strings attached cake. All the flavor, none of the calories.

"For real?" he asked hesitantly. No girl would ever be okay with that. Maybe guys didn't care about that stuff as much?

"I wont pressure you into anything," he affirmed. "Not kissing or coming out or PDA... no one has to know... we don't have to be in a..."

The word relationship hung in the air between them. It was like it gave Travis all of the answers.

"It wouldn't be a thing."

Jared chuckled.

"Well, it is a thing, but not a thing."

A smile tugged at Travis' lips.

"Is that what you want?" he asked.

As the words left his mouth, Travis realized a lot of things. For one, he was an asshole because he was pretty sure that this was the first time that he'd asked Jared anything remotely close to what he wanted. Also, he realized how important it was to him. He needed to know where Jared stood.

Jared's eyes widened at the question making Travis feel like an even bigger ass hat. Was it so surprising that he ask his friend how he feels?

Jared bit down on his beautiful full lip and devastatingly shook his head.

"No," he said as Travis' heart stopped. "I want a lot more than that, but if this is all you're willing to give me, then I'll take it."

He smiled but the humour didn't reach his eyes.

"You must have figured it out by now Trav," Jared said gently. "I'd do anything for you."

That did seem to be the case but why did Jared seem so saddened by it?

Travis found it freeing.

Jared wanted to do these things and more. Travis wasn't using him. They weren't in a relationship and no one had to know.

It was like Travis' mind was cleared after weeks of fog. This wasn't as big as he was making it out to be.

Maybe talking was a good thing after all.

~

AN: Yes, Travis is stupid. If you read my other story Loud and Clear you'll know that I have a weakness for stupid characters >.>

Ugh! I'm scared of this chapter but it was time to update. I hope you enjoyed it!