Paul Karofsky was an average man. He had been an average man all of his life. He'd never expected much out of his life, he believed what his father had believed, and he wasn't very adventurous. Paul loved two things: the fact that he still had a full head of hair in his late age, and his family. He had been worried about his son lately, Dave had seemed more distant and sad. He'd never been a popular one, even as a little kid Dave had trouble with his words. He was so happy when Dave introduced him to Santana. Well, he didn't really think that she was exactly Dave's type… she seemed a bit showy and controlling, but he was glad that Dave found something that would finally make him happy.

She was over now, she and Dave had gone in Dave's room and it was pretty silent. Paul was on his way downstairs when he heard it.

"Will you stop it!" Dave shouted. "I am tired of you pushing me around and acting like you can blackmail me into submission! I'm tired of feeling crushed by you and just generally shit on by your stupid obsession for Prom Queen!" Dave sounded on the brink of tears and Paul hesitated just outside the door.

"Well maybe if you just do what I say things would be easier—"

"Do you understand? Things will never be easy for me! At least you have someone to lean on, you have your damned glee club and I have no one! You tell someone and I am cast out everywhere." Dave said. "I can't hold it in anymore, Santana. I can't do it."

There was pause and a creak in the bed sounded like Dave sat down. The soft coughing noises Paul instantly recognized as Dave's sobs. He'd heard Dave cry in his room alone many times. He always wanted to go in and help him, but he never knew what to say. Paul was not good with his words either.

"So… what are you gonna do?" Santana said after a while. "Come out?" Paul frowned in confusion. Come out… outside? But that was generally a term when used for coming out as gay. Dave wasn't gay, he wished Santana wouldn't joke around with Dave's sexuality like that.

"That's not an option." Dave murmured. Wait, she was serious? Dave was serious?Is that what he's upset about? His son couldn't be…gay….

"Well, I don't want you to think of any of the other options." Santana said firmly, a second quieter creak sounded as Santana sat down on the bed.

"Why not?" His voice was scratchy. "Why can't I just end it all?"

Paul felt his heart drop into his stomach. He didn't want to think about that. He didn't want to think about his son like that. How could he think of… of killing himself? He knew that David had been upset lately, but he didn't know it stemmed this deeply. This was real, wasn't it? This… this gay thing?

"Because I won't let you." Santana said. It was good to know that there was someone in the world who cared about David like that. "We can do it together. You need the glee club. They could support you like you've never known. Just tell them."

"They hate me for what I did to Kurt." Dave grumbled.

"What exactly did you do to him? I know you freaked him out but—"

"I kissed him." Dave whispered so softly that Paul had to strain his ears to hear. "And it freaked him out. I— I didn't mean to like… force myself I was just… I was asking for help—" There was a shuffling in the room.

"Okay. We're going to get you something to cheer you up."

"Like what?" Dave said.

"What do all fat kids like? Hockey and burgers." Santana was really annoying, Paul decided. He was still grateful for her, even if she didn't know it. "And maybe we'll go visit the king of homosexuals later. I wasn't anticipating getting a whole sob story."

"Well you threatened to out a 'late in life gay'." Dave chuckled sadly. "There's bound to be some friction." They were walking towards the door, Paul realized that he had been frozen to the spot and quickly jumped into movement as he hid himself in the nearby guest room. He waited until the clomping of their footsteps faded and the door was closed behind them.

Paul found that he was frozen again, lost in his thoughts. He had not expected this. He had… he'd been… had he missed the signs? He recalled memories of Dave when he was four years old, asking if boys could like other boys, asking if he could hold another boy's hand like daddy holds mommy's… and Paul felt as confused has he did now. He had wanted what any father wanted for his son. He wanted Dave to grow up, get married, have kids and be happy. But to listen to his son contemplate suicide… he would settle for just the last option.

He would rather have a gay son than no son at all.