Dave does Kurt's correspondence work for him, Kurt's credits are prepared, and together, they transfer to another school. The blue everywhere is such a stark contract to McKinley's red that it soothes Kurt's innards in a way a simple color wouldn't normally be able to do. But it's such a relief to be so far away from the people he's come to despise and resent that it's… it's really quite healing.

They don't associate much, only drive to school together, and so far, no one has noticed. They think Kurt is Dave's neighbor, someone he carpools out of convenience. No one questions it.

For the first semester, it works.

XXX

One evening, during the week of Valentine's day, Kurt – being less gaunt and baggy-eyed these days as he's growing back into himself and his self-confidence, even if he still mourns his father, and probably always will – asks Dave out on a date to Breadstix.

"Just one date," he prompts softly, "And we can see how comfortable you are with it. And we can talk, really get to know each other more than we already do. You'll have to buy, since you have a job and I don't, but I think we could have a really swell time."

"Who says 'swell' anymore?" Dave teases in good humor, and he smiles brightly. "But yeah, sure. That sounds great. I'd love that." And he feels the need to add, "Thanks, Kurt. I know I'm not… well, probably not what you were looking for in a guy, but I want to try."

"Right now, Dave, all your trying has been what led me to this decision, so keep that up, and we'll be on the right path."

XXX

It felt so good. Kurt was glowing, he could feel it. His heart was mending, his insides were brightening. Dave is really actually very funny when he wants to be, his humor dry and quick like Kurt's, and Kurt was rolling, grinning, bursting with laughter. They have similar tastes in many foods, as it turns out, and felt comfortable to steal off each other's plates (well, they used the small plates for the h'orderves and swapped some food, but the concept applies).

Kurt actually felt… happy. The happiest he's felt in a long time in comparison, anyhow, and it's wonderful. He could cry, it fills him with so much relief.

"You've helped me so much, you don't even know," Dave says softly. He reaches for Kurt's hand, and Kurt gives it to him. They hold hands across the table, and Dave's eyes are sparkling, and Kurt grins, because he did that. And Dave grins broader, because he is making Kurt smile, making Kurt look at him like this, like he wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and doesn't want this to end, but it will, so he will want to do it again soon, and that's fantastic, because that is all Dave wants.

When it's time to go, the bill paid, Kurt stands, and Dave helps him into his jacket. Kurt's fingers brush Dave's thigh, purposely, and Dave smiles. Dave turns and walks alongside Kurt out of the restaurant. But along the way… they run into one of Dave's teammates.

"Hey, Karofsky. Looks like you had a nice date with your boyfriend, huh? Wait 'til the guys hear about this." And his smirk is nasty and dirty and disgusting, and Kurt instantly flushes a sick green, and Dave's face falls.

Dave bolts first. Kurt walks timidly around the cackling jock and, once outside, rushes after his friend.

Dave says nothing the entire ride home.

Kurt doesn't blame him. He feels just as petrified, because their secret is out, exposed before it had much of a chance to get started.

XXX

At school the following week, Dave's and Kurt's lockers are spray painted faggot with a doodled penis on each to make a sort of vulgar exclamation point.

Many of the students shun the pair of them. Many others simply don't want to get involved. And the rest? They make sure Kurt's and Dave's lives are hell.

They beat them up, sometimes. Sometimes, they just flood their Facebooks with hateful messages and comments. And the teachers turn the other cheek, because they are just as bad, and they don't want their school to get a poor reputation by reporting all the abuse.

Dave stops going to school first. His Facebook friends from McKinley de-friend him as fast as this school's kids, and he confesses to Kurt that this is really the end, they can't go back, and they can't afford a place like Dalton, and there is nowhere left to go.

XXX

"What am I going to do? I hate it. I hate it. My mother sees my Facebook, so she knows. I know she knows. She will never come back, now, even if you moved out later to go to college or something. And my dad, he's so mad. He's ready to sue the school, but he's in too deep, I've dragged him into this. And you… I'm so sorry. This is the last thing you needed, Kurt. I'm sorry."

"What are you saying, Dave? This is my fault. I goaded you into a date. It's my fault we were seen. I should have been more careful. But they would have figured it out eventually, at least that I live with you and I'm not related to you. Then they would have assumed their own ideas, because I'm sure they suspected me all along, and by association, they would have eventually gotten to you. There's nothing we could have done about that. We need to fight this, Dave. We need to –"

"I can't, Kurt, I can't. I can't do this. I told you, I'm not – I'm not cut out for this. I can't do it. They all hate me. They've hurt you because of me. This is the worst, the actual worst. I can't… I'm sorry, but I'm done. I need to do something to end this, to help you and my dad, to make it up to my mom…"

"Dave. David, please. Please, please don't tell me you're considering it. You can't do that, you –"

They're both babbling, crying messes. Kurt is lost. He doesn't know what to do, how to fix this. They aren't in school, but they were only a few months away from graduating, and they are so close, if they could just get through this and come out on top, disprove them all –

"No. It's not gonna work. I can see it on your face, Kurt. You want to go back, finish, get out of here. But I c… I can't… I won't do it, it's… it's over, I can't be anybody. I-I can't sing or write music or anything like you can. I won't go anywhere, last anywhere. Even if I leave Ohio entirely, I can't run from the fact that all I'm good at is math."

"Yes, you can. You can do something, David! We just need to think this through, we just have to –"

"I can't, Kurt! Don't you see? Don't you get it? I'm not as strong as you! I'm not made to handle this! Fuck… Fuck! My mom's calling!" he bellows, shakily fumbling to retrieve his phone form his pocket and throw it against the wall, the backing popping off, battery jarred, as it slides open and lands, abused, shut off, on the floor.

Dave turns and leaves the guest bedroom, retreating to his attic room. He slams the door shut and locks it, and kurt stumbles up the stairs, dazed in his wobbling, sobbing state, and banging on the door with his fists until his knuckles are raw and he has to use the palms of his hands until they sting and burn into numbness.

"Dave! Dave! David! David Karofsky!" he shrieks until his voice is hoarse.

He hears things. Dave dragging a chair, Dave removing his belt on his jeans.

Panic trickles down form Kurt's head to his heart like the chilled whites of a raw egg being cracked over his skull. He runs and bashes the door with his shoulder, but that only succeeds in dislocating it, and sending Kurt to the floor, howling in pain.

Struggling through tears, Kurt stands and jump-kicks at the door, just off to the side of the lock.

The door springs free.

"David!" he cries as he barrels into the bedroom, limp, useless arm at his side, tingling from disconnection. He whirls around and sees the walk-in closet.

Dave is hanging from the beam that rung across the ceiling. Hanging from his belt, a kicked chair beneath him. His face is eerily serene.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He screams, and in seconds, he's reaching up with his good hand, sobbing without realizing it, and fumbling to detach the belt.

Dave thuds to the floor and the belt slips off the beam and clanks on the wood beside his boyfriend's body, lying as heavy and guilty as a dead snake that choked on the animal it killed.

Kurt cradles Dave in his lap and rocks back and forth, mumbling the same mantra over and over, waiting for Dave's eyes to open, trembling too much to land a check for Dave's pulse, and too afraid of what he will find if he does put his fingers where Dave's pulse in his neck should be.

How did he get driven to this, even when he has Kurt?

Kurt has never felt so useless.

XXX

He calls Paul after ten minutes, and an ambulance promptly afterward.

He doesn't want to be here when either arrive, but he also doesn't want to leave Dave.

In the end, Kurt decides that if Dave lives, so shall he. But if Dave is dead, too, then Kurt will finally join all the people he's lost these past two years.