Author's note: Thank you for adding this to favorites and alerts. Thank you for reviewing. Please enjoy!

Happy reading!

Chapter Four

Dave closed his locker and turned to head to his first class. He was met by Hunter and Heaven Stein. They were members of the glee club and had been at the concert the previous weekend. Both girls were usually pretty nice to him.

He smiled. "Hey. Did you have a good weekend?"

"Yeah, we did." Heaven said. "What about you?"

"Oh, you know, hanging out. I worked."

"Did you take in a concert?" Hunter asked kindly.

"No." He looked at his watch. "We're going to be late for class." He turned.

"Sebastian Smythe is quite the hottie." Heaven said as she followed.

"If you say so." He said dismissively.

"Well, he was staring at you a lot up there. And then he got in your car after the show. Where did you two go?"

"If I went anywhere with Sebastian, then it wouldn't be anyone's business. But I didn't go anywhere with him, so it's still no one's business." He slid into his desk.

Heaven leaned closer, "Look, it wouldn't be bad if you were gay."

"Shut up!" He snapped just before the bell rang.

"You gay, Karofsky?" Brock Manning's voice asked in his ear.

He turned and glared at the jock behind him.

"Fag." The boy said with a laugh.

The teacher called the class to order. "Mr. Karofsky, Mr. Manning, please stop your chit chat."

"I don't talk to queers." Brock said.

Dave turned and looked down at his desk.

The class went on. Brock tossed spit balls at the back of Dave's head the entire time.

Try as he might, he couldn't ignore it forever. He turned and snapped, "You got a problem, Manning?"

"No." He said innocently.

"Gentlemen, save it for the field." The teacher called before continuing her lecture.

Brock stopped his abuse for the last few minutes of class. But when the bell rang, he handed Dave a piece of paper.

Dave opened it and saw a very crude drawing of stick figures. One was labeled "Karofsky" with the word "fag" scrawled across the top. He crumpled the paper, threw it in the trash, and made his way out of the room to get to his next class. He wasn't bothered for the rest of the morning, but he kept looking over his shoulder, waiting for Brock to make his next move.

At lunch, he sat at his normal table alone. He didn't feel comfortable with the rest of the team. He hadn't yet made any friends, either. Hunter and Heaven and the other members of the glee club sat down with him.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Sitting with you. What does it look like?" Heaven said.

"I like to be alone."

"Why?" another person asked.

"Because I do." He got up and started to move away.

Brock and a group of football players blocked his path. "So we have a question."

"What question?"

"Does vagina scare you?"

The group laughed.

"I don't see how that's funny or relevant." He shouldered his way past and deposited his tray in the window. He locked himself in a bathroom and pulled out his phone. He typed out a text, "Please tell me something good." He sent it to Sebastian and waited.

His phone buzzed a few minutes later. Sebastian replied, "Like what?"

"That your day is going better than mine."

"Tell me, babe."

"Meet me somewhere? I need to see you."

"My house?"

"Sounds good." He put his phone away and headed out the door. Thankfully, he met no one on the way to his car.

Sebastian was leaning against his car when Dave drove up. He took one look into his face and reached to pull him into a hug.

He pushed the other boy away. "Don't." He turned and walked into the house.

"What happened?" He closed the door.

Dave sat down on the sofa in the living room and began to recount his morning.

Sebastian sat beside him. He slipped his hand into the other boys and listened quietly.

"So, I just…" Dave sighed. "I don't know how to do this. I don't know how it's so easy for you."

"It's not easy, baby. It's never easy. I still get called names by people that know and don't agree that what I feel is real. Not to mention my dad would like to pretend that I'm just going through a phase. At least your dad seems to accept it a bit more. He likes me."

"Because you talk sports with us. I'm sure he always pictured gay guys like everyone else does with the swishy hips and the lisps and the limp wrists. He sees with you and me that it's not quite true. Doesn't mean he's not uncomfortable with it."

Sebastian kissed his hand. "It'll be okay."

"Easy for you to say."

Sebastian leaned into him. "Then what do you want to do?"

Dave wrapped his arms around his shoulders. "Hide away."

"Wouldn't that be great? Except…"

"You have to perform. And I like playing football and basketball when I can."

"Yeah."

"This is my karma. Because of how I treated Kurt."

"Don't think like that, babe."

"Why not? Don't you ever get those reactions? You were just as bad. And you can still sometimes be a huge asshole. You're arrogant because you are so talented and you and everyone else know it."

"Yeah, I'm good. I'm the best. I deserve all the awards I get." He sat up. "You were a jerk because you were scared. You're far more justified than me."

"You think that's what they're doing?"

"I doubt they're gay. They're just looking to pick on someone. They're like animals. And yeah, maybe they're scared you're staring at them in the locker room."

"I don't go for jocks." He ran a finger down Sebastian's cheek. "I prefer the artistic type. A guy who is a little more my opposite."

Sebastian smiled and pressed a kiss to Dave's cheek. "You going back to practice this afternoon?"

"I should. I'd hate to make Coach mad."

"What would be make you do?"

"Laps. Drills. I don't really know." He pressed a kiss to Sebastian's lips. "You coming to the game?"

"I might. I missed last week."

"And I sat through your concert."

"You liked it."

"You like watching football."

"Those pants do a lot of great things to a guy." He smiled and kissed Dave again. "Are you going to get in trouble for ditching?"

"Maybe. But I needed to talk to you more than I needed to sit through class where I wouldn't be paying attention anyway. And what about you?"

He shrugged. "I'll be all right."

They shared another kiss before they parted.

Dave was shocked that when he went to practice that afternoon, he was neither ridiculed nor punished for skipping class. The practice was a tough one, but he felt more alive after the physical exertion.

He stepped into the shower and washed quickly. He usually did. But today, he didn't want Brock and the others to think he liked to linger to stare at them. He left without a word to anyone and went to the grocery store. He had a few hours to work before he could go home.

At the end of the shift, he walked out to see Sebastian lounging against his beat-up old Buick. It looked wrong, somehow. Sebastian was too polished for the clunker.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked, keeping a few feet away.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, babe, I'm fine." He smiled slightly. "Want to come over?"

"Sure."

"Get in." He keyed the door open and then leaned over to unlock the other as Sebastian ran around.

He got in and kissed Dave quickly before he put on his seatbelt.

"Don't, please. Someone might see." He pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the road.

"Sorry." He mumbled. "How was practice?"

"Not too bad. No cross words or derogatory remarks."

"Good. Maybe they'll give up."

"Not likely. I think they're planning something big."

He reached over and patted his boyfriend's leg. "Just ignore it as best you can. Don't provoke them. You and I both know that only makes it worse."

"Yeah." He pulled into his driveway. "Oh, hey, my dad's home. Maybe he made supper."

"Awesome!" Sebastian got out of the car and they walked in the house together.

"That you, Davey?" Paul called, walking into the living room.

"Yeah, Dad."

"And you brought Sebastian. Hey, man." He held out his hand.

Sebastian shook it. "Hello, Mr. Karofsky."

"So polite." Paul said. "I was just about to put on some burgers. You want one?"

"Sure. Thanks."

They all walked into the kitchen.

"Is there anything I can help with?" Sebastian asked.

"No, I've got it." He put three patties into a frying pan.

"Stop trying to suck up to my dad." Dave said in his ear.

"I just want him to like me." He whispered back before they sat down on opposite sides of the table.

"Well, I already do, so stop it." Paul said with a smile. "How was your day?"

"Mine was great!" Sebastian said.

"Of course yours was great." Dave said. "Everyone likes you." He smiled across the table.

Paul looked at his son. "What about you, Davey?"

"Nothing I can't handle, Dad."

"Do I need to go talk to the principal?"

"I think you would only make it worse. Anyway, it was the first time. It will be okay."

"As long as you're sure."

"Dad, it's fine."

"Good."

Sebastian reached out and placed a hand on top of his. Dave turned his hand over and squeezed his fingers.

Dave told them about his afternoon practice as Paul cooked.

"Burgers done." Paul called, placing the plate in the middle of the table. "Stop holding hands in the kitchen." He turned and gathered the veggies he'd cut up.

Sebastian laughed. Dave turned red.