Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or the characters or anything. Just as well, I suppose - I'm clumsy, I'd probably end up breaking them. RIB are dragging their feet giving Kurt and Dave screentime together, so I'm venting headcanon here. Also, if the writers aren't going to free Max's voice yet I can at least free Dave's a bit... :)
Chapter 2: I Need To Tell You This
The PFFLAG plans were coming along surprisingly well; surprisingly for Kurt as Dave had really taken to the idea of defending himself against the myths and lies about gay people that he himself once would have taken as truth without question, and surprisingly for Dave as he'd not expected to take to it all so fervently. He wasn't just accepting he was gay, here - he'd found a cause. He was fighting for the right to simply be.
The affirmation that it wasn't a choice, in particular, was something he clung to like a life raft. It meant that, despite what he may have come to believe, it wasn't his fault he was gay. It was a big step closer for him to admitting it to himself, and Kurt's jaw dropped the first time Dave had casually used the phrase "gay guys like us".
Like us. Kurt could hardly believe it. Dave's self-acceptance appeared to be coming on way faster than he'd hoped. The news of breakthroughs like Major League Baseball teams recording videos for the It Gets Better project was a big development for Dave, as it came directly from the world of sport, and they were both thrilled to hear that gay marriage had been legalized in New York.
Heh... maybe Kurt gayed up the place more than he thought he would, mused Dave. Good for you, Kurt. Hell, good for both of us.
They took a break for lunch, and Dave got talking about Burt and how he still felt like he was walking on eggshells around him. "Feeling comfortable in my own skin doesn't help your dad any," he pointed out.
"Give him time," Kurt reassured him. "He'll come round eventually. He can see how much you've changed. He just needs to take it in that you won't go back to the bullying."
"God, no, I'm done with that crap," grunted Dave, inwardly ashamed of his own utter failure to deal with his own problems sensibly. "Bullying won't get me anywhere. Hell, it never really did. All it did was help me build a wall to hide behind."
Kurt placed his hand on Dave's shoulder. "See?" he answered brightly. "You're totally different."
Dave sighed. "Doesn't help pay your family back though, does it?" he pointed out. Dalton had cost them dearly; Burt had made no secret of that in the meeting at McKinley prior to Kurt's transfer back there. Dave's antics had hit them hard.
Kurt bit his bottom lip. "You can't change the past," he stated, suddenly. "All you can do is move on from it and make sure you don't mess up the future. You're doing that."
Unless you can find a way to make up for it, thought Dave.
After they'd spent a few more hours brainstorming, they decided to kick back and do something a little more fun together. "Finn's got an Xbox, hasn't he?" suggested Dave.
"Ehh... it's all shooting games and sports," said Kurt, choosing exactly the wrong tack to put Dave off the idea.
Dave got the message, though. "Not your thing, I get it," he sighed. "Too bad there's nothing like... I dunno, Rock Band or Singstar or something."
Kurt found his jaw dangling again. "You... you sing?" he exclaimed, sounding a little more shocked than he meant to.
Dave shrugged. "Nowhere near as well as you, obviously," he said. "But yeah, I like singing. Y'know, in private."
Kurt could barely contain himself. This was something they could really bond over, beyond the PFFLAG chapter. "I have a PS3 in my room!" he exclaimed as he darted off. "Lets go find you something!"
Dave suddenly found his nerves kicking in as he slowly followed Kurt. What the hell had he mentioned singing for? He was going to make a complete idiot of himself! Damnit Dave, he thought to himself. You walk right into these things.
Kurt had powered up the console, loaded SingStar and held out a printed list of tracks - some on discs, others he'd downloaded. Dave was relieved to see they weren't all showtunes. One in particular caught his eye. I bet Kurt's never sung that one, he pondered.
"Radiohead. Street Spirit. It's on..."
"...disc 2. Good choice," enthused Kurt. Dave was stunned. Kurt's sung that? By choice?
Kurt caught his expression. "Surprised?" he asked.
"I'll say," chuckled Dave. "You, uh... don't exactly seem the Radiohead type."
Kurt smirked impishly. "I wasn't aware there was a type," he replied with a glint in his eye.
Dave shrugged again. "Well," he ventured, "it's not particularly... gay, is it?"
Kurt pretended to bristle at this. "Hey! I'm not made entirely of fabulous, y'know," he retorted in mock outrage, before breaking into a grin. Dave mirrored the grin with his own. They selected the song and prepared for battle.
Rows of houses, all bearing down on me
I can feel their blue hands touching me
All these things into position
All these things we'll one day swallow whole
He's actually keeping up with me, mused Kurt as the chorus approached. Nice going, Dave. Too bad I'm gonna kick your ass in the choruses.
Fa-a-a-a-a-ade ou-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ut aga-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ain
Bet you weren't expecting that, Kurt, smirked Dave as he drew breath for the second line.
Fa-a-a-a-a-ade ou-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ut
How the hell is he still level? wondered Kurt. He'd caught Finn out on the choruses plenty of times as it required such a long breath. Clearly, Dave wasn't going to be so easily caught.
I can live with that, he thought. Nice to have a challenge.
This machine will, will not communicate
These thoughts and the strain I am under
Be a world child, form a circle
Before we all go under
Holy crap, I'm in the lead! Dave could barely believe his luck. Only just, but still. I'm... winning!
The hell? thought Kurt. He's beating me!
Fa-a-a-a-a-ade ou-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ut aga-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ain
Fa-a-a-a-a-ade ou-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ut aga-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ain
They remained neck-and-neck through the bridge, glancing at each other, then ploughed into the final verse.
Cracked eggs, dead birds
Scream as they fight for life
I can feel death, can see its beady eyes
All these things into position
All these things we'll one day swallow whole
Kurt struggled to regain his lead. He never managed it; Dave remained just out of reach throughout.
Fa-a-a-a-a-ade ou-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ut aga-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ain
Fa-a-a-a-a-ade ou-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-ut aga-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-ain
They anxiously awaited their scores. Kurt expected he'd lost. Dave expected Kurt had won.
Dave: 9712
Kurt: 9688
Both were as bewildered as each other. Damnit, that close, thought Kurt. He was the first to speak.
"Choose. Another. Song."
Dave suddenly felt like he'd done something badly wrong. "Kurt... did I...?"
"Less talk, more sing."
"Seriously, I didn't mean to piss you off."
"You? I'm only pissed at myself. If I'd known you were so freakin' awesome I'd have brought my A-game." That was my A-game. Damned if I'm telling him that.
Dave's mind has temporarily gone ping. "So freakin' awesome"? He could have spent the rest of his life bathing in that compliment.
But Kurt was owed a shot at reclaiming his honour and dignity. Dave went through the list and found a track he absolutely loved - although nobody else would find out he had such a weakness for soppy ballads.
"This one's not too deep for you, is it?"
"No problem," Kurt assured him. "You need to give my vocal range a little more credit than that," he added playfully.
"Yes, sir," replied Dave with a grin as he prepped the song.
Boy,
tell me only this
That I have your heart
for always
And you
want me by your side
whispering the words
I'll always love you
It didn't escape either boy's attention that they both replaced "girl" with "boy" at the beginning. It was honestly the last thing Kurt expected Dave to do.
And forever,
I will be your lover
and I know if you really care
I will always be there
Kurt could hear the feeling in Dave's vocal over his own. Lionel Ritchie paled in comparison.
Now,
I need to tell you this
There's no other love
like your love
And
as long as I live
I'll give you all the joy
My heart and soul can give
Dave was completely lost to it, adding his own subtle nuances. They were costing him points, but he didn't care. He was singing this to Kurt, whether he realised it or not.
Let me hold you
I need to have you near me
And I feel with you in my arms
This love will last forever
Big finish, thought Kurt. C'mon, Dave. Nail it. Normally, given the scores, he'd be thinking I've got this in the bag, but Dave's performance was breathtaking. He was almost struggling to concentrate on his own.
Because I'm truly
Truly in love with you, boy
I'm truly
Head over heels with your love
I need you
And with your love I'm free
And truly
You know, you're alright with me.
Dave looked at Kurt with unshed tears in his eyes. Kurt looked back at Dave, spellbound by the performance. Dave's inflections on the vocal had cost him, and he lost the sing-off. He figured he could live with that; Singstar wasn't the audience he was playing to anyway.
He'd won something better - Kurt's admiration... and his respect. Not just as a person, but as a performer. Until now, he hadn't realised how much that could mean to him. It was just like scoring a touchdown.
No. No, it was better than that. A touchdown wouldn't move me like this, mused Dave.
They looked for more songs to sing together, and spent another hour singing - during which Kurt discovered how surprisingly good Dave was at harmonies as they did a few duets. As Kurt had hoped, the music had given them one perfect thing to bond over.
He didn't stop to consider for a moment that, for some of the songs they sang together, Dave might mean every word.
Eventually, Burt returned home from work. He couldn't help but notice the singing, and decided to tease Kurt about it when they surfaced. Finally, Kurt and Dave came out to say hi, and Burt dropped the bomb.
"Kurt, how come you never told me Dave had a better singing voice than you?"
"I only heard him for the first time tod... hey!" Kurt was so enthusiastic about Dave's vocal skills he almost missed the barb. Burt grinned at Kurt who rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, then to Dave as if sharing an inside joke. Dave had worried about how Burt would be around him, but his opinion of Dave had clearly softened. He smiled back.
As they fetched drinks from the kitchen, Dave decided this was his chance. "Kurt," he asked, "would you mind if I joined you in a few minutes? There's something I kinda need to talk to your dad about."
Kurt was immediately wary. What possible reason could Dave have to talk to dad? Wait... was he going to ask permission to pursue me? Like, romantically? Even though I'm with Blaine? Oh crap, that could go badly. "Uh..." started Kurt.
"It's okay," Dave assured him. "I won't say anything dumb."
"Is it about me?" asked Kurt. Don't. Damnit, Dave, if he thinks you wanna ask me out he might just flip.
"Oh, no," explained Dave. "Well, only indirectly. It's more about him and me. About putting things right. I wanna put a proposition to him."
Kurt was decidedly confused. What could that mean? All the same, Dave seemed set on this. "...Okay, if you're sure," he said cautiously. "Good luck," he added as he returned to his room, Diet Coke in hand as usual.
Dave smiled, and headed into the lounge to see Burt. He was really nervous, but tried not to let his nerves show. He succeeded... mostly.
"Uh... M-Mr Hummel?"
Burt turned his head to look at Dave. "Dave?" he asked. "Something I can help you with, kid?"
"Actually," suggested Dave steadily, "It's more about how I could help you..."
Lyrics in this chapter: Radiohead - Street Spirit, Lionel Ritchie - Truly
(After hearing the clip of Max singing New York New York, I reckon both of those songs are perfect for his range. I'd love to hear Dave outperform Kurt on the show! Tell me what you think - good choice of songs? Believable progress for Dave? I'm worried I might have rushed his development a little; still, I've left it to your imagination how long has passed since the first chapter, so... :) -Lemm)
