A/N: So my external HD went down along with all my fics, except this one which I had saved on my desktop. For everyone who reads Teenage Kicks and is waiting for a second chapter, it'll be soon, I promise!

Also, I forgot to mention that this fic is set after Season 2, Episode 15. There's no Bully Whips, no Born This Way, no Klaine kiss, nothing like that! Once again, huge thanks to my amazing beta Tess, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.

X x X x X x X

"I can't do this," Dave said suddenly, his hands clenching into fists on his knees as Finn swung his car into the driveway, Kurt's Navigator and the hobbit's shitty thing there already. He felt dizzy and entirely too sober to deal with this, his breathing harsh and caught awkwardly in his lungs.

"Dude," Finn murmured softly, parking the car and looking over as he let the engine idle. "What're you freaking out about...? You've already told me Kurt and Blaine know, so... what's the deal...?" Dave gritted his teeth, wishing Finn was either a bit dumber or a bit smarter rather than this frustrating mix of the two. He could hardly say that... that he didn't want Blaine to be there because even the mention of the guy sent him into an internal rage, a spiral of angst over the fact that it was his fault Kurt had gone running into those blazered arms, that if the little dick started rambling on about 'courage' and 'not alone' again something was probably going to end up being hit.

And he couldn't tell Finn that he was pretty damn sure he was desperately, hopelessly in love with the guy he'd bullied, shoved and then kissed before taking one final step into the bleakness that was now his life and threatened to kill him; and he was in no way ready to face up to the grim reality of what he'd done shining in Kurt's eyes. Oh, and he and Finn were now brothers.

"... Nothing," he murmured, unbuckling his seatbelt and throwing open the door of the car, passing his hand over his wallet still in his jeans. If things got desperate he could take a cab home. Dave closed the door loudly behind him, jumping as Finn clapped him on the shoulder.

"I've got your back, man." Dave opened his mouth to snap something back, some snide jibe or even a simple rebuke, but... facing a door – both literally and proverbially – he never thought he'd get to open... Dave decided he could do with a friend of sorts and simply nodded, ignoring Finn's wide, dopey smile. "Cool. Come on." Finn moved past Dave and unlocked the door, pausing and turning to him. "I'll go in first and, uh... prepare them. So it's not such a surprise, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Whatever." Dave shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to act nonchalant, but in reality it was to hide the way his hands were shaking. Finn closed the door behind them.

"Stay here a sec," he murmured, giving Dave a reassuring smile and walking into a room on the left. Dave breathed out slowly, closing his eyes for a moment to collect himself as he ran through all possible scenarios in his head, but he was jarred out of his mental anxiety by the sound of Kurt's slightly muffled voice.

"Finn? Why are you back so early...? Is everything okay?"

"Hey, guys...! Yeah, no, everything's cool. The party sucked anyway, and, uh... look, Kurt, you know how we've got this... this awesome brotherly trust thing going on...?" Dave gently let his forehead hit the wall. Way to be smooth, Hudson. Just as predicted, Kurt's tone was instantly suspicious.

"Finn, if you've broken something else I can't keep trying to cover for you."

"What? No, I haven't-... no. I brought someone back with me."

"Is it someone we know?" Blaine's voice cut through for the first time, Dave's jaw tightening a little. That stupid, idiotic, bastard little...

"Uh, yeah, uh... okay. Promise not to, uh, freak out."

"... Please tell me you haven't hooked up with... with someone, or someone."

"What! Dude! No! No, it's... uh, it's not a girl, okay?" Dave slowly knocked his forehead off the wall again. Well done, Hudson, well done. How could a guy so utterly, utterly dumb be so frustratingly perceptive?

"You-... wow," Blaine said, his tone shocked. "Didn't see that one coming."

"Finn, you're... gay...?"

"What! No! Guys, come on...! No, I mean... it's Dave, okay?" Suddenly the room went silent, Dave's own heart hammering in his chest, every nerve on buzzing and straining to hear what would be said next.

"Dave as in... Dave Karofsky...?" Blaine asked tentatively. Kurt's voice was sharp, but it wasn't... wasn't that hate-filled tone it usually was whenever Dave heard it.

"Why?"

"Because," Finn said, gently, "he's here to apologize." Dave sucked in a sharp, aching breath. He couldn't back out now, he couldn't run away from this all. He felt sick and though he'd definitely sobered up a bit, everything still felt... off.

"He's-... what...?"

"He came to apologize," Finn repeated. "He, uh... well, he didn't tell me, but I worked out he was gay and we talked about it, and he said you two already knew so I said he should come and apologize and he agreed to." Dave hunched his shoulders up, forehead still pressed to the wall. Why had he agreed to all of this again...?

"Oh... well..." there was a pause before Kurt spoke again, still sounding shocked. "Well... you'd better let him in, then." Anxiety and panic hit Dave in a rush as he jerked back from the wall, his hands going back to shaking as his mind blanked. The door opened and Finn grinned, looking relieved as he nodded to Dave.

"Come in, dude." Dave swallowed, opening his mouth to speak, to tell Finn he couldn't do this and he was leaving – he was getting a cab and going home and Kurt could continue his life Dave-free with his dumb little boyfriend and-... the way Finn had opened the door and moved meant that he could see Kurt, curled up on the sofa with a blanket over his legs, an unreadable look on his face – oh, god, his face – and suddenly Dave felt like he couldn't breathe. "Dude...? You... you okay...?" Finn asked, softly.

"I-... yeah," Dave breathed, the air knocked out of him and then replaced so quickly he felt dizzy; though it could have been the alcohol. This was it. This was the moment he'd literally been dreaming off, and fine, he had to do it in front of Finn and that fucking little blazerphile, but at least he had the chance to do it at all. He stepped into the room, trying not to obviously stare at Kurt.

"Hey, Dave," Blaine smiled from his spot next to Kurt – so close their shoulders were brushing, and Dave wanted to snap at him to shut up or... or anything, but he knew that insulting Kurt's boyfriend wasn't going to do him any favors at all. He shoved his hands back in his pockets and nodded his head in Blaine's direction, his eyes flicking to rest on Kurt's face and-... yeah. There went the air again. Dave jumped as Finn touched his shoulder, jolting him back into reality. Just as he opened his mouth, trying to find even the beginnings of an apology, Kurt spoke.

"... You can sit down, you know," he murmured, gesturing to a chair opposite the sofa. Dave nodded, his mind blanking as he turned to look at one of the chairs before moving to sit on it, right on the edge as he gripped his knees. Finn awkwardly sat down too, in the one beside him.

"Uh... Dave's had a little to drink," he said, obviously trying to explain why Dave was acting so weird. Kurt's nose wrinkled a little, but he didn't say anything.

"Was it a good party...?" Blaine asked, obviously trying to dispel some of the tension in the room as Dave struggled to even find a single word to say. Finn nodded and then shrugged his shoulder.

"Kind of. I mean, it was loud and there was booze, but Puck was hurling in the bathroom and I think some of the guys were smoking something, and... yeah. It wasn't as fun as the movies make it look, and-"

"-Finn," Kurt interjected, softly but firmly. "Blaine. Can you... give David and I a minute, please?" Dave's head snapped up, eyes a little wider as he stared at Kurt. That was the absolute last thing he'd been expecting.

"I-... yeah, sure," Finn nodded, standing again as Blaine smiled and squeezed Kurt's shoulder.

"No problem. We'll just be in the kitchen."

"Thanks," Kurt murmured, watching the two leave, the door clicking closed behind them. Dave felt like he was on some sort of internal roller-coaster, a mixture of every emotion going, his fingers shaking and breathing a little harder because now he was alone with Kurt in his sitting room. Kurt's gaze was heavy on him and he couldn't meet it, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Thanks," he managed to choke out, a moment later. "For... letting me talk and... and sending them out."

"... I figured if you came out to Finn and then came here to apologize, you're not exactly about to do something that means I need someone else in the room," he said softly. "Besides... I don't think this is the sort of thing that should have an audience." Dave's shoulders sagged, some of the unbearable tension seeping from his frame. Already this was going better than he'd ever hoped it could.

"I-... yeah," he nodded, finally lifting his gaze to meet Kurt's, his stomach clenching. "Kurt... I-... all those things I did to you... I'm... I'm so sorry, and... and you... I-... you didn't deserve any of it, just... just because I thought... I thought it would somehow make me not... not this," he mumbled, once again staring at his feet.

"Not gay," Kurt said softly, a shuddering breath leaving Dave as he slowly nodded.

"Yeah," he whispered. "Yeah, I-... I treated you the worst and..." Dave swallowed, thickly. His throat felt like it was closing up on him and he clenched his eyes shut. He was not going to cry. "And I wish I could take it back and... and not do it, but I can't and..." he took another shaky breath, pressing his knuckles to his eyes. "And I'm... I'm so sorry... I just-... I'm... I'm so sorry," he repeated, voice cracking over the last words. There was a long silence and Dave was on the brink of standing, turning and running out – dignity be dammed – before Kurt spoke again, his tone gentle.

"I forgive you." It felt like the last weight across Dave's shoulders had been broken, the last rock in his gut lifted, the last nail in his back pulled free. He felt like he was flying and falling at the same time and nothing could stop the small sob from escaping him, his hands covering his face as he tried his hardest not to just... break down. He flinched, glancing up as he heard movement by him, surprised to see Kurt coming over with a box of tissues. Dave took them, knowing that he was losing the battle against tears; though his heart was hammering because instead of going back over to the couch, Kurt was sitting on the chair beside him.

"Why...?" he managed to croak out, scrunching up a tissue and pressing it to his eyes, trying to stave off any moisture.

"Why what...?"

"Why do you forgive me...? I was... I was so awful to you, and... I did all those things... I made you transfer," he gritted out, keeping the tissue pressed over his eyes. "I made your life hell... I-... I said I'd kill you..."

"Yeah," Kurt murmured, "you did... you made me scared to walk down the hallways, and you made me scared to even leave and enter school by myself..." Kurt's words cut into Dave, harder and more painful than almost anything he'd felt before, though he had no-one to blame but himself. "But," he continued, after a second, "despite all that... I couldn't hate you. Believe me, I tried... I know what it's like to be in the closet, I know what it's like to be scared and hate yourself... and even when you were... were stealing my cake toppers and shoving me into lockers, I knew it was because you were even more scared of me than I was of you."

Dave choked out another small noise, Kurt's words hitting hard and true. "I..."

"I left because... I didn't want to out you, or press charges like my dad wanted me to, but I needed to get away from the worsening situation... not to mention the teaching at Dalton's better," he murmured, obviously trying for a bit of humor.

"And that-... and Anderson was there," Dave muttered, before he could help himself. Kurt stiffened, glancing towards the door before he hummed softly.

"... And because Blaine was there," he nodded after a moment. Dave exhaled shakily. "But the fact that you came out to Finn and then came here to apologize... it means a lot. It's... it's definitely a step in the right direction, and I know you mean it. So... I forgive you, David."

"Thanks," Dave mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to stop the fucking tears.

"... The fact you're crying is helping," Kurt said softly, a smile to his voice. Dave snorted weakly, grabbing another stupid tissue.

"Shut up," he murmured, not meaning it at all as he took a deep breath and pulled the damp tissues away, knowing his eyes were red and puffy, cheeks flushed and... a mess. A slightly drunken mess.

"Did Finn plan beyond this?" Kurt asked, watching him carefully.

"Uh... no, I don't think so... he mentioned something about Xbox, but... I can... I can go. I should go," he amended, clutching the tissue in his hand. Kurt shook his head after a second.

"It's fine, Finn can set you up a bed on the floor of his room. It's late and you certainly can't drive. My dad and Carole are away for the weekend, so they can't take you back. Besides," he said, standing. "If you keep Finn entertained, it means he won't come down and bother me about being bored and or hungry every ten minutes." Dave snorted again, his lips curling into a half a smile. "There's a bathroom through there. Cold water will help the... you know," Kurt smiled, waving his fingers around his eyes to indicate the crying.

"Thanks, Kurt," he murmured, standing and shoving the tissues into his pocket and taking a deep breath. Dave moved past him, going into the small bathroom Kurt had pointed out and closed the door behind him. He gripped the sink, looking into the mirror at himself.

He was shaking, barely able to believe that that had happened. That... Kurt forgave him. That he'd been given his chance to apologize, had seized it and... been forgiven. It was more than he'd ever expected, so much more than he deserved. Dave could hear Finn and Blaine come back into the sitting room as he ducked his head, scooping cold water into his hands and splashing his face with it, waiting until he didn't look like he'd been crying like a girl before coming back out.

Kurt and Blaine were on the sofa again and Finn was staring listlessly at the weird musical thing they were watching, perking up the second Dave entered the room.

"Hey, dude...!" he grinned, standing up immediately. "Kurt said you were cool to stay, so I already made up the bed."

"No, Finn," Kurt said smoothly, crooking an eyebrow, "I made up the bed. You don't know how to change a pillowcase. Don't try to take credit for my work when I'm right here." Blaine laughed and Dave's lips curled into a ghost of a smile, raising an eyebrow at the slightly flustered Finn.

"Whatever, man. Let's go," he said, nudging Dave and heading for the stairs, thundering up the stairs to his room and flicking on the Xbox, tossing Dave a controller with a grin. "Let's see how good you are at Halo."

X x X

Dave silently opened the door to Finn's bedroom, creeping down the stairs. It was late at night, the house dark and silent. He and Finn had stayed up for hours, playing on the Xbox, joking and laughing and... having a really good night. For the first time in years he felt free. Finn knew his secret, didn't care and treated him like... like he was human. A person. A friend. It was liberating and amazing and... it was nothing like the fear and unease that came from hanging out with Az, and nothing like the pain of being alone all the time.

It was intense and better than he'd ever thought it could be. He felt like a whole new person. But he'd woken up thirsty, the beginnings of a light hangover kicking in, and he needed some water desperately. He navigated the stairs slowly, dressed in one of Finn's larger t-shirts and a pair of shorts, though both were a bit tight on him – something Finn had laughed at before Dave had thrown a shoe at his head. He pushed open the door to what he hoped was the kitchen and stepped in.

Before he'd even got his foot on the floor he'd frozen, because a figure was gripping the sink, back to Dave and the light from the moon making his clothes and hair look silver. He realized a split second later it was Kurt and sucked in a sharp breath, gaze glued to him. Kurt turned, his eyes wide and mouth open and-... oh.

He was crying.

"D-... David, what... what are you doing up?" he mumbled, turning back to the sink and taking a deep breath, though it was ragged and painful.

"I-... water," he said back, feeling utterly lost. "Are you okay...?" Kurt snorted wetly, that simple sound speaking volumes. He was not okay, not at all. Dave took a cautious step into the room, painfully aware that this was a situation Kurt had probably been in before because of him and he had no right to be here. "That was a dumb question," he murmured.

"Yeah," Kurt muttered, reaching for paper towel off the roll and scrunching it tight in his hand; he wipe at his face and took another shuddering breath. "I-... I didn't think anyone would be awake..."

"Sorry..." the silence trailed on, but somehow it didn't turn awkward. Just... heavy. "It's not... it's not my fault, right...?" he asked, a second later.

"No," Kurt whispered, turning from the sink and moving to the table, sitting down heavily and dropping his head into his hands. Dave nodded in relief and, after a moment, slowly moved to sit opposite Kurt. "It's-... it's stupid, I-... you weren't meant to see this..."

"Well... I cried earlier, so... we can call this even...?" Kurt made a strangled noise that Dave hoped was a laugh of some sort and fell silent, snuffling softly.

"... It's Blaine," he finally whispered, voice thick and broken. Oh. Great. Like Dave didn't already want to punch the little hobbit's face in. He scowled darkly.

"What did he do?"

"It's more... what he didn't do," Kurt mumbled, wiping at his eyes again. "It's-... god, it's so stupid... I know he's right, but... I just thought..." he trailed of, Dave waiting a few seconds before speaking.

"... I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"I-... Blaine and I were talking and... I had a crush on him for ages, but..." Dave's insides curled tight and he suddenly wished he'd gone and woken Finn to deal with this, because hearing Kurt talk about his crush on Blaine was just... painful. "But it's... I know that... I know that I'm not his type, and I know that... that he's not really mine, either... but I-... I got all hopeful and I thought that... that maybe something could happen..." he stopped again, taking a deep breath, his shoulders shaking. "But he... he made it perfectly clear that... that nothing's going to happen and... I saw it coming, christ, I've seen it coming since that stupid GAP attack..."

"The GAP attack...?" Dave asked.

"Oh, god... he had this... this huge crush on some guy and sung him this totally inappropriate song and... it was a disaster."

"Oh," Dave murmured, looking down at his hands for a second. "Okay... so..."

"So," Kurt continued, "so... I just... I had a hope that we could make something work and..." his shoulders slumped heavily. Dave was suddenly struck by how small Kurt looked, and how much he wanted to reach out and touch. Help. Comfort. Do something. "It's stupid," Kurt whispered again. "I don't even... I know he's right and we make better friends than... than boyfriends, but... but this is the third time it's happened to me, and..."

"Wait, third...?" Dave asked before he could help himself.

"... I-... I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this..."

"I' don't really have anyone to tell," he murmured, shrugging a shoulder.

"I used to have a huge crush on Finn," Kurt admitted, a few long moments later. "Though that was quickly crushed once I started doing his laundry," he added dryly, despite the fact it was obvious he'd started crying again. "And then... then Sam, and now Blaine... I just..." he shook his head slightly, mopping his cheeks again. "When's it my turn...?" he whispered, so softly Dave almost missed it. Dave hesitated, mouth open. He had no idea what to say, no idea what to do and he felt awful because... he was so glad Kurt and Blaine weren't dating. Though Blaine was an asshole and an idiot not to grab Kurt while he had the chance, in his opinion. Kurt stood, pushing away from the table with one final deep breath, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. He handed it over with a tight smile. "Here."

"Thanks..." Dave mumbled, taking it and sipping, still sitting at the table. After a moment Kurt stood.

"I should get back to bed before Blaine wakes up and comes looking for me..."

"Okay," he murmured, standing too and following Kurt out, the half-empty glass in hand. "Kurt," he said softly, pausing by the door that lead to Kurt's room after they'd climbed the stairs in silence. "I'm... sorry about the Blaine thing." Kurt blinked at him, obviously taken aback by the sincerity in Dave's voice. He nodded after a second and crooked a small smile.

"Thanks..." Dave nodded back and turned, his hand on Finn's door. "David...?"

"Yeah...?" he whispered, turning his head back to Kurt.

"... I didn't mean what I said in the locker room. You're not fat, and you're not going go bald any time soon." Dave blinked, his eyes widening but before he could even begin to think of a reply Kurt was gone, his door clicking shut behind him.

Dave was pretty sure he'd never felt such a weird mix of elation and confusion in his life.

X x X x X x X

A/N Thank you so much for reading, and thank you so much for all your support! I hope you enjoy this chapter – and thank you so much for all the reviews, they brighten my day and are so encouraging! Once again, a huge thanks to my beta Tess (reallytessisamess on Tumblr). You can also find me on Tumblr, under the name Gleekilicious.