Absolute Silence.
For one desperate moment Dave thought that he was losing his hearing, but; judging by the stricken expressions on everyone's face, he hadn't.
For the first time in his life, Dave felt like he understood the phrase "you could have heard a pin drop."
A nervous titter broke the silence. It was Berry, past tipsy, now fully drunk,
"Well, are you two gonna get your kiss on or what? It's my turn next and I'm getting impatient!"
Stomach churning, eyes unfocused, Dave's muscles tightened, his fight or flight instinct kicked into high gear, overriding the drunken lethargy of his limbs.
He was going to run.
Crouching onto the balls of his feet he scanned the room for the quickest exit. The stairs, you idiot, he thought. It's the only exit.
At that moment, in that last desperate second, his hazel gaze got caught in the deep blue eyes of his beloved.
Kurt knew what was about to happen. Dave realized that the smaller boy could see it in his face. Kurt, who had been humiliated countless times at the hands of Karofsky, seemed to sense that another moment of humiliation was about to occur.
Dave could see that he had tensed his lean frame and lowered his eyes, probably desperately thinking, preparing to make some off hand and deprecating remark after Dave's hasty exit.
The idea that he was going to hurt Kurt, even just his pride, after promising to never do it again was too much.
He couldn't bear to see Kurt in pain. It hurt him too much.
"Well, I hate to disappoint a lady" Dave growled, letting the momentum of his crouched stance push him forward.
Grabbing Kurt by his red shirt, Dave leaned in, aware of the collective held breath of the entire Glee club.
Then, he kissed him.
On the cheek.
The room exploded with laughter and jeers.
"That's cheating!"
"No way, man, if I had to kiss Chang, you should have to kiss Kurt!"
"Lame, Karofsky"
Dave resumed his seat, lips burning from the feel of Kurt's incredibly smooth skin, vaguely aware of the laughter surrounding him, the damned bottle spinning again, and the tension slowly ebbing out of the room.
Berry's spin had landed on Finn, and everyone's attention focused on her attempts to lock him into a passionate embrace.
Amidst the chaos, Dave finally found the courage to raise his eyes. Just as he had known, the blue eyes were there, waiting to meet his, and Dave searched them for signs of relief and the camaraderie had he come to cherish over the last several weeks.
Instead, he saw the two things he had promised himself he'd never see in his Kurt's eyes again.
Fear and pain.
Anguish ripped through him like a knife. He felt his breath catch and he lowered his eyes; sure that everyone could see him for the love sick school boy that he was. You couldn't hide pain like this. He was in agony.
He's hurt Kurt by kissing him. He'd made him scared again and he'd humiliated him in front of the boy he was "trying to impress".
God, couldn't he ever do anything right?
Hudson had finally unwound Rachel's tentacles and the circle was beginning to break up.
Dave, stumbling over his large feet, took advantage of the momentary chaos to slip up the stairs and go out the front door.
He needed some fresh air and time to think.
Dave had been sitting on the bitterly cold front porch for 30 minutes when he heard the sound of faltering feet approaching. Shoving the picture back into his jeans pocket,he hugged his body closer to the shadows, edging away from the approaching noise.
He didn't want to have to explain why his eyes were red and swollen. Or why he couldn't seem to stop shaking despite the warm coat, hat, and scarf he'd hastily donned.
Slurred speech reached his ears and set his nerves on edge. It was Kurt. And he was drunk.
Maybe he'd already impressed that Blaine kid enough and decided to let loose, Dave thought.
Yeah, more likely he's trying to drown out the memory of that pathetic kiss, sneered a voice inside his head.
Wasn't it enough that he couldn't ever be with him? Now he had to hear him talking to pretty boy, probably expressing his undying love.
Or, oh God, worse..maybe they'd come out here to make out. Nausea chocked him, and he braced himself, as if for a physical blow.
"I just wanted to make him jealous, make him say something or do something. I am so freaking tired of pretending to be his best buddy"
A few disheartened sobs punctuated the garbled confession.
"I think I love him. I can't explain it. He makes me feel safe and like someone wants me and likes me exactly the way I am".
Dave's fists clenched. His worst nightmare was coming true. First he'd hurt and scared the only person he cared about (outside of family), and now he had to hear him drunkenly extol the virtues of another boy. And confess his love of Blaine to Berry or one of the other glee kids.
He'd never felt pain like this before. It went through his body like electric shocks. The shaking intensified and he felt his eyes well up again.
And yet, some part of him was angry. Angry at that dumb ass Blaine for not appreciating Kurt. Angry that Kurt, the most amazing boy he'd ever met, was out here crying over some jackass who neither appreciated, understood, nor deserved him.
The anger allowed him to shove all the feelings of pain back. Allowed him to pretend that his world wasn't crumbling around him. Anger, he understood. Anger he could work with.
Blaine was about to get some sense knocked into him.
Dave yanked the hat off of his head and prepared to rise. But the words he heard next rooted him, stricken, to the spot.
"He's a boy. And a jock, at that. He doesn't do subtle. Have you tried telling him that you like him?"
It was Blaine's voice.
