Title: Save Me
Fandom: Glee
Author: LizzyPoodle
Rating: T (Language)
Characters: Kurt/Karofsky
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.
Warnings: Up to BIOTA
A/N – Thank you to those who've reviewed, favorited, alerted. I love being a Pirate. :) My goal is to remain calm after Original Song. Please note that the name of my therapist is meant to be a nod to the authors. I hope that it will not offend said authors or their other fans.
Section 10 – Whispers
Dave walked around McKinley feeling uncomfortably embarrassed much of the time these days. Of course he was happy that he'd saved Kurt's life. Of course it was reasonable that he'd cried after going through that rather harrowing experience. Of course it made sense that he'd gone to the hospital, just to make sure that the person he had saved would stabilize and be taken care of.
But he knew, he just knew, that now there were whispers.
"Can you believe Karofsky gave him mouth to mouth?"
"I know, right?"
"Hey, Hummel would have died without Karofsky doing CPR."
"I know, but still!"
"Did you hear that he was crying?"
"Why did he go to the hospital?"
"Why was he hugging him? Are they, like, together now?"
Those whispers shivered up his spine and followed him through the hallways.
"Is he gay? Is Karofsky gay?"
"Dave?" the receptionist called, "Dr. Tessmagz is ready for you."
Dave set down the magazine that he hadn't really been reading anyway. He stood and walked into the office where he had finally begun to find some peace.
Section 14 – A Talk
Kurt stared at the phone. Finn's football roster had the phone number of the players. It had been absolutely no problem, whatsoever, to get Karofsky's number. It's just that, he wasn't sure how this was going to work. He had 2 things that he really wanted to say:
Thank you for saving my life.
Why did you save my life?
"Come on, Kurt. Just call," he instructed himself.
He continued to stare at the phone, and jumped when it rang. He couldn't believe when the number that showed on the screen matched the one that he'd just been encouraging himself to dial.
"Hello?" Kurt answered hesitantly.
"Hummel?"
"Hey, Dave, uhhh, I was actually just about to call you."
Silence.
"Oh."
Silence.
Kurt licked his lips, glanced to his right, glanced to his left, glanced to his right again, chewed his lips a little.
"So, uhhhhh, I wanted to thank you for saving my life."
"Ummm, o.k. You're welcome."
Silence.
"Why did you call, Dave?
"I wanted to see how you were doing. I guess you're o.k. That's good. I guess I'll let you go. Ummmm, bye."
Kurt couldn't believe it when the line suddenly went quiet. He exhaled slowly and dialed Dave's number.
"Yeah?"
"You hung up before I could ask you something."
"Oh. Sorry. I didn't know."
"Kurt put his forehead in his hand, closed, his eyes, and breathed. "Is it o.k. if I call you Dave?"
"That's what you want to ask me?"
"Jesus, is it o.k. or isn't it?"
Silence.
"It's o.k."
Kurt sighed. "Listen, Karofsky,"
"I thought you were going to call me Dave."
Kurt's head dropped toward his chest. Breathe, Kurt. "You're right. Dave, I'm wondering why you saved my life."
Silence.
"Dave?"
"I didn't want you to die."
"But you had to put your mouth on mine, and there were people around."
Silence.
"I just, I couldn't just let you die."
Silence.
"You do remember that you once threatened to kill me, right?"
Silence.
"Of course I remember."
Silence.
"Well, this was kind of a big opportunity for you. I mean, you could have, you know, stopped worrying that I'd tell anyone about you being…"
Silence.
"Gay." Dave finished Kurt's sentence.
Silence.
Dave Karofsky closed his eyes. This was his chance.
He pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket. It had just been an exercise. He hadn't actually anticipated that he'd be using that little slip of paper for real.
Come on, Dave. Do this.
And then he spoke.
"Listen, Kurt, I know that I threatened you. I know that I terrified you. I know that I hurt you and embarrassed you and tormented you. I know that I can never make up for doing the things that I did to you. I can't even begin to try. I was given a chance to do right by you. I took it. My therapist…"shit, he'd forgotten that he'd written that.
Kurt was listening. Kurt was listening hard. Kurt was perhaps listening harder than he'd ever listened to anything. He tried not to let Dave even hear him breathing for fear that it would interrupt the flow of words on which Kurt was intently focused. He waited for Dave to continue.
Dave cleared his throat again. "My therapist says that I'm lucky that I had the opportunity to make the right choice when it came to you….that it's like I'm being given a chance to redeem myself. "
Dave waited for Kurt to say something.
Silence.
Dave continued. This part wasn't scripted. He crumpled up the little paper, shut his eyes, and spoke from his heart.
"Kurt, I am sorry about how I've hurt you. I wish, so much, that I could go back in time, take it all back…but I can't. I don't expect you to forgive me, or anything, but if I have the opportunity to give you back a wallet, or a glove, or your keys…or if I get to keep you from drowning and dying, then I'm just going to be thankful that at least I can treat you right from now on."
Silence.
"Kurt?"
"O.K. Who the hell is your therapist?"
Dave smiled. "Let me know if there's anything that I can do for you, Kurt. I actually came out to my parents when I got home after following you to the hospital. People at school seem to know, well, there are rumors, anyway…whatever. All I'm really interested in doing these days is being better for…"
Silence.
"Being better for…?" asked Kurt.
Dave's mouth felt impossibly dry. "Being better, you know, for…myself." Dave cringed. Could Kurt tell how he'd almost ended the sentence? Being better for you…
Silence.
"Dave? You? Have changed."
Dave smiled.
"Kurt? Thanks for noticing."
"Well, good!" Kurt declared, not at all certain where to go from here, how to politely end this conversation, what would happen at sch…
"And Kurt?"
Silence.
"Yes, Dave."
"Thanks. For listening."
Silence.
Silence.
Silence
"You're welcome."