He was in pain, that much was obvious or it was obvious to him at the very least. Nothing he did was ever right; he always messed up, always lost. As if he were playing an unwinnable game of tug a war. Struggling to cope with his innermost terrors each slicing him like a blade, draining him raw, he was wounded. Not a physical surface wound or one that could fade with time but one that hovered. Biting down on his bottom lip he shook his head fighting back the tears that threatening to pour out like a river, silent screams bubbling to the front of his lips. Boys like him did not cry, they never showed pain, it's how he was raised, Karofsky men were never hurt. Physically, that was allowed but emotionally it would lash back at you. Curling up in himself he crumbled down to the floor of the secluded room. The shadows of all the passing student's flickered through the small window blurred by the water. He hated it, he couldn't leave the space he could barely breathe. What the hell was wrong with him? It was not fair, it was never fair. No one understood and when they tried it only made the seemingly okay things turn to absolute shit, nothing more than shit.

Clutching to himself as if he were ripping away he felt the hole in his chest open, he felt dead. Choking out a loud sob the door jiggled opened. The water filled eyes snapped to the direction as a pale arm probed inside. He held his breath knowing if he didn't bad things would happen, he would be spotted, no one could know he was weak. "Hello?" A deep voice rung through, it was not a teacher the voice was too young, too youthful; it had to be a student. Shifting the large boy sprawled his leg out banging it against the table across from him. No! He was a failure he couldn't even keep quiet right. "Someone's here?" The voice continued, Great assumption, smart one.Dave thought to himself in his usual distaste. Before he could realize there were footsteps in his direction trampling lightly across the marked up tile flood. His hazel hues flickered upwards eyes squinting to get a view, denying anything would be useless and pathetic at that point. "Karofsky?" The male asked in a small voice, it was familiar now, now that he was closer. No.He thought again, why he couldn't just disappear into a small piece of nothing to be forgotten in a year. David watched the fellow footballer lower to his level, it was Sam. Of course it was Sam he was too nice for his own good. "A—are you crying? Should I get someone… are you hurt?" Sam whispered his light blue eyes staring at Dave, staring through him.

"I'm fine." He choked out trying his absolute best to be strong. He needed to be strong now more than ever, he was supposed to be strong. He was David Karofsky.

"Obviously you are not fine." Sam stated back a timid hand reached out to brush Dave's shoulder hesitantly. Dave froze wanting no contact. Why couldn't the floor just open and swallow him whole? Why couldn't he just be left alone? The answer was not as simple as it was for him to ask the questions. Sniffling through a stuffy nose he bit down on his own bottom lip as he flinched back from it. "Go away." Said a strangled voice as he clung tighter to his knees, he knew Sam was not the smartest person around but he thought he would get it enough to know he didn't want to talk to anyone but alas. That would never come true.

"Well dude you're obviously upset and stuff and like your crying too which means that things are defiantly bad like I've never seen you do that before. I was pretty convinced that never happened to you but I guess now I know right?" The blonde said softly clearly out of his element, something that never usually happened to him. Sam bit his bottom lip his eyes growing soft into a puppy dog like feature. "Dave." He whispered meekly, it sounded odd coming from the other teens mouth, David was sure that was the first time Sam called him by his first name or anyone for that matter in a long time. The beastly boy looked at the light fingertips against his shoulder before the boys face not sure if he should shove him off and run or to just sit there and take whatever hate he was going to get. "W—what?" He asked his voice cracking in the process a tear falling from his eye to run down his hot cheek burning slightly.

"Did something happen, like are you okay? I already asked that like is everything okay with your family. Did like your girlfriend dump you? Wait do you even have a girlfriend or something. Uh did someone die?" He froze running out of questions.

"No!" Dave snapped bitterly his teeth clenching abruptly. He went in there to be /alone/ not to have some blonde loser try to comfort him (no matter how cute he was).

Taken a bit aback Sam's already puppy dog expression became somehow softer, it was almost pathetic. Almost, but still Sam stayed there, unmoving. His hand staying put on the boy's shoulder running down his arm in his best attempt at some form of comfort. "Dave." He whispered in a slow breath.

David looked up at Sam as much as he wanted to just pick up his fist and swing he knew it would not do anything, instead he just sat there. "What?" He asked the bitterness still evident in his tone making the blonde cringe instinctively. He bit his lip, "I just…" Sam trailed off trying to keep his tone gentle as possible. The two boys weren't exactly best friends but he knew when someone needed to talk, now was that time. He blamed it on his constant looking after of his younger siblings. But Dave was different, he wasn't a child he was a man. He didn't cry when he scraped his knee he just continued on, held high. Physical pain meant little to Dave, it was why life dealt him and he would be damned if he didn't just go with it.

"Leave," Dave hitched out heart pounding in his chest as he did, pulling his leg back from where it had been sprawled out and up to his chest, holding himself close as if he would break into tiny fragments of himself.

Stubborn and stupid the blonde recoiled his hand as he waddled backwards, backing into the desk with the thud. Darkness encircling them as he squinted to see the broad boy, one clearly in need of help, whether he wanted it or not. Those were two totally different things. Sam knew that he would give in at any moment, he knew guys like Dave back in Tennessee. But something about Dave himself was drastically different. He was so perfectly flawed so addicting? Sam was not sure. All he knew was that Dave needed to be safe and clearly he couldn't. His bright blue hues dropped down as the other boys large hand slipped inside the sleeve of his letterman jacket, stopping at a certain part of his arm. He swallowed hard, what was he doing? Was it for attention? Did he even realize it was happening? The crystal blue eyed male had absolutely no clue.

Sam was only aware of the pain that was evident in the boy's expression, his movements even his breath was like a knife straight to his heart. "Dave, stop it." Sam said abruptly as he clamped his hand down on the boy's large one, hard to break the motions. He did not know much about this sort of thing but he would always be there for him, even if it killed him (metaphorically, of course).

"I need…" Dave started a strangled sob cutting off his thought and vocal process, leaving him unable to do anything. Why couldn't Sam understand that he wanted to be alone, to die slowly in his own pain like he had been for the last few years since he could remember? He lived to die that's all he wanted. Letting out a gut ripping cry he hung his head down in defeat, surrendering to the blonde. The last fragment of being a man in his father's image was gone, burned to the ground. He was a failure, that's all he would ever be, to himself, his family and everyone else around him. His stomach twisted as he tried to stand, steady himself enough to leave. The bell had rung moments prior to his failed attempts at getting Sam to leave. He needed the swift relief of his metal friend, but that was not going to happen. Not now at least. He had to wait, but waiting was the most painful out of all other things. "I need to go," Dave stammered out climbing to his knees only to feel the weight push forward forcing him towards the ground, Towards Sam. With a choked breath he fell hard, sending the boy opposite to him down and into the hard metal of the desk behind him with a bang. Elbow slamming down onto the hard flooring, some hard object prodding into his chest knocking the wind out of him, Dave froze trying to compose himself.

After a long moment the large boy looked down at the blonde who he was now molded against like a piece of clay to a rock. Probably crushing the fragile blonde but he didn't care. He couldn't move, not that he was trying, a particular sense of calm washed over him as he looked down at Sam. Sam's eyes on landed directly on the boy's lips as he was knocked down, something about that moment was so horribly perfect, it was sickening to think that he wanted to kiss him right then and there, but he did. He was so positive. Sam had never considered himself gay or even bisexual but then again he had never exactly been that close with another male before in his life. Sure he looked when he was in the showers and maybe was a little too focused on the guys while watching inappropriate movies. But that's normal right? Or… does it mean something else, something he didn't care to admit to himself for fear of rejection. Painful rejection. "Dave," He spoke, his voice soft and calm as if to say that everything would be okay, that he was safe and in a way he was. Because at that moment Sam made his own promise to Dave a silent one but a promise none of the less. He promised that he would protect him, always be there no matter what people thought or how cheesy it sounded.(It sounded that way to himself even) but he couldn't help it.

Hearing his name he looked down, his breath slowing from the high paced ragged squeaks he was letting out. His tears drying and tacking to his face. His guard was down, all of it and all that was left was the display of pain. That was really the only thing he had along with the pretty little lines that made him, told his story. Told why he couldn't change with the rest of the team or go to the beach in the summer. The truth was that he was dead but breathing and no one could truly understand. "What?" He murmured back eyes clinging to the boy's bright blue ones unable to pull them away.

"Can I-" Sam stopped himself "you're on top of me." The blonde resorted realizing that he didn't want to freak him out. But just as he looked away and went to move he felt a pair of lips on his own with a crushing force. Alarmed by the eagerness his bright blue eyes sparkled as he leaned up and into the kiss parting his lips slightly as the world began to dissolve around him. A gentle hand moved up to cup Dave's wet cheek as he hummed happily into his mouth slowly, prodding his tongue inside of the larger boy's mouth at an attempt to memorize the plains. Sam was well aware that this would probably be the first and last chance he ever hand to kiss the larger boy and he embraced it completely.

Confused by his own submission Dave let Sam do his thinking for him scared to move he just hovered there awkwardly letting Sam attack Dave's mouth with his own. They were alone everyone else was in class or had skipped out for the day but the thought that someone could walk in at any second and catch them was great. Reluctantly the scared footballer pulled back just long enough to regain his composure. Peering down at the singers perfectly kiss swollen lips he let out a short sigh. It was such a beautiful, nearly perfect sight. No not nearly, it /was/ a perfect sight one he had to be crazy not to admire. But just as he went to lean back in he paused once more. "I'm not…" His voice trailed off but Sam knew exactly what he ment. Dave was not ready to come out, not ready to prance around the school hand in hand with Sam… if that was even an option. Was it? Sam did not know all he knew was that he liked it and wanted to continue it no matter what the circumstances may be.

Leaning up he hooked his hand around the boy's neck pulling him closer. With lips barely touching he spoke out in a voice just above a whisper. "Your secrets are safe with me" crushing their lips together and ending all of the worry that surrounded the two of them. That was the first time in a long while Dave Karofsky felt wanted.

End Chapter one.