"I'm Michael, Avi's dad." The man says as he shakes Tim's hand. "Please, come in. This is my wife, Shelley, Avi's mom.

"Pleased to meet both of you." Tim says as he nods at the older lady. 

She was quite pretty with a friendly smile. Her long blond hair fell past her shoulders. In her hand was a walking cane.

"Would you like to sit down, Tim?" Shelley asks politely.

"No thanks." Tim gives her a tired smile and then chuckles. "I wouldn't be able to get back up."

"AVI!! YOU HAVE COMPANY!!" Michael yells out from the foot of the stairs.

Tim's heart begins to race as he hears footsteps coming down the stairs.

"Who is it?" Avi asks before seeing Tim and freezing in his tracks.

"Hi." Tim says with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Avi says in a flat tone.

"Uh, I was wondering if we could talk." Tim says, his smile quickly fading.

"I really don't have anything to say to you, Tim." Avi says.

Shelley looks at her son with a confused look. She knew Avi had been waiting on Tim ever since he arrived there. He hadn't even unpacked.

"Please. I just need ..." Tim was interrupted by a hard hit to the face.

Shelley gasped and covers her mouth.

"Avi!" Michael scolds but also has a confused look on his face.

"Oh, my Lord." Shelley says, seeing blood in Tim's hand when he moved it from his mouth.

Avi's eyes were wide and his mouth open, as he couldn't believe he had just hit his lover.

She grabs some tissue and quickly hands them to Tim to wipe the blood from his busted lip.

"Avi, please?" Tim says, barely above a whisper as tears fill his eyes.

"I think it's best that you leave." Avi says as he swallows the lump that was rising in his throat.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you." A tear rolls down Tim's cheek as he stares at the green-eyed beauty.

"Leave Tim." Avi repeats, his voice cracking.

"Can I just say something?" Tim asks softly.

"Leave!" Avi says with a shaking voice.

Tim hangs his head and nods slightly.

He turns around slowly and reaches for the door.

"I'm so sorry, Tim." Michael says in a soft voice as he rubs him on the shoulder.

"Thank you." Tim whispers as he goes out the door.

Michael closes the door and turns to his son.

"Avi? What in the heck was that?" Michael asks.

Avi shakes his head as he let's go of a sob he had been holding.

"I don't understand." Shelley says, shaking her head. "I thought you loved him. You've been waiting on him since you've arrived."

"I do love him, Momma. I love him so much." Avi says with tears streaming down his face.

"Well, you sure have a funny way of showing it. By busting his lip?" Michael asks with raised brows.

"I didn't even realize I hit him until after it happened." Avi wipes his tears as he shakes his head.

"If you love him so much then why did you tell him to leave?" Shelley asks.

"I don't know." Avi cries as he covers his face.

"Maybe you should have talked to him. It's possible that you might have like what he had to say." Michael says as he stares at his distraught son.

"Did he say something to you?" Avi asks. "What did he say?"

"Maybe you should have let him talk." Michael says sternly as he crosses his arms.

"Oh, my God. What did I just do?" Avi cries as the realization hit him.

"You just sent the man that you love back to Texas thinking that you hate him." Shelley states.

~~ meanwhile, outside ~~

Tim walks numbly out the door and toward the car, crying silently.

"Oh, no." Austin says as he sees Tim leaving the house alone. He and Adam get out of the car.

They walk slowly up to Tim. Tim shakes his head as his silent cry becomes heavy sobs.

"Oh, Sweetie." Austin says softly as he wraps his arms around Tim. "I'm so sorry."

"He .. He .." Tim sobs into Austin's shoulder. "He wouldn't .. wouldn't even ... talk to me."

"Did you tell him that you loved him?" Adam asks as he rubs Tim comfortingly on the back.

"I .. I never got the .. the chance." Tim says through his sobs. "He told me .. to leave. He hates me, Austin. He even hit me."

"WHAT!!??" Austin growls as he pushes Tim back to look at his face. His blood begins to boil when he sees the blood on his friend's chin and his busted lip. "Oh, Hell naw. He can't do this!"

"Austin." Adam says softly, shaking his head at his husband. "Let's .. Let's just go home. Give things time to cool down. I'm sure Avi isn't thinking straight right now."

"I don't care how hurt or mad he is, Adam. That didn't give him any right to hit Tim." Austin says, his face red with anger.

"I deserved it." Tim says. "I treated him awful."

"You didn't deserve being hit." Austin says.

"Why not? You hit me." Tim replies with a raised brow.

"TIM!! TIM WAIT!!" Avi yells as he runs out of the house.

"Avi?" Tim whispers as he turns around.

"TIM!!" Avi shouts as he runs to Tim, throwing his arms around his lover's neck. "Oh, God. Tim, I'm so sorry." He cries in heavy sobs.

Tim, not able to speak, wraps his arms around Avi, holding him close.

"I love you, Tim. Please don't leave." Avi cries.

"I love you, too." Tim cries as he pulls Avi in closer and cries into his shoulder.

"What?" Avi asks as he pushes Tim back some so he could see his face. "What did you just say?"

"I said, I love you." Tim smiles through his tears.

"Do you mean that, Foust? For real?" Avi asks.

"Yes, Kaplan." Tim nods. "I realized it the day you left."

A huge smile came across Avi's face as he pulls Tim into another bone-crushing hug.

"Please, say it again." Avi whispers.

"I love you, Avi." Tim says softly and places a kiss on the side of his lover's head.

"I like the sound of that." Avi giggles. (lol) He gently rubs his finger over Tim's busted lip. Placing a soft kiss on the injury, he whispers, "I'm so sorry."

"You had every ri ...." Tim was hushed by Avi's lips as he kisses him softly.

"I thought that you might need these, Son." Michael says from the doorway of the house.

Avi turns around to see his luggage sitting on the porch.

"You throwing me out?" Avi says with a chuckle, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Both of his parents smile and nod their heads.

"You're being evicted." Shelley laughs.

********

* Yann, I told you it got better. LOL!!

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