Kurt went out to dinner at Breadstix with his father and step-mom the next night to celebrate his internship. Kurt would have liked to have been able to tell Finn that he was going to move to New York after all and would be able to keep Rachel company, but his training schedule was rigorous and he was only allowed to call home during designated times and even then the calls were short. Carole said she would tell Finn the good news the next time he got a chance to call home.

After dinner the family returned home for a quiet night in before Burt would have to leave again for his duties in D.C.. As soon as they got home, Carole excused herself to finish up last minute packing and to retire to bed early. Kurt decided to spend some time with his father before they had to leave.

"I'm really proud of you Kurt," Burt said as he settled himself into the armchair that was designated as his own. "You wanted something and you worked hard to get it. That's a trait many kids your age don't have."

"I'm not a kid anymore," Kurt replied to his dad with a soft smile. "And besides, I didn't do it all alone. I had help."

"Yeah. That Karofsky boy. How is he doing? I ran into his dad a few weeks back and it seems they had a fight."

"Yeah," Kurt said. "Dave was accepted to OSU and his dad won't let him go. I mean David could go if he really wanted, but he doesn't want to go against his father's wishes since he is one of the few family members he has that is still supportive of him"

"Hmm… That's unfortunate. I know you and that kid had a tough time in high school and it took me a long time to understand how you forgave him."

"He was in a bad place, Dad. I saw that and I saw how much he hated himself for it. And then he worked so hard to become a better person. I couldn't hold his past self against him because he is not the same guy anymore. He was Karofsky back then, but now he is just… Dave." Kurt explained.

"You seem to have grown fond of him," Burt said as he eyed his son.

"I have," Kurt whispered.

"Ok." Burt says matter-of-factly. "Tell me what's going on, Kurt. I know I haven't been here a lot this summer, but I always know when you are working something out in that head of yours."

"It all just feels like a lot to deal with right now," Kurt explained.

"What? New York?"

"Yeah," Kurt said. "New York. Vogue. Rachel… And David."

"Why is Dave a lot to deal with?"

Kurt sighed. "I just feel like we have grown so close this summer and there might be something there, but I am leaving and I don't know what to do with that," Kurt finished as he looked up shyly at his father.

Burt nodded his head at his son. "You do realize that you don't have to do anything with it, right?"

"But … That's the problem, Dad. I know I could just leave it alone, but… I don't want to," Kurt said. "I'm scared of leaving and never knowing what was there or at least what could have been there."

"You really want my advice?" Burt asked.

"Yeah," Kurt spoke softly. "I do. I don't know what to do and I am afraid of making the wrong choice."

"Go with your gut," his dad said. "Screw whatever everyone else says. If you feel that something is the right choice then nothing else matters."

"But everything else does matter."

"No. Not really. I will tell you one thing. I have lived a pretty good life, Kurt and I am not going to say that following your gut or your heart or whatever internal organ that is talking to you doesn't lead to regrets, but I will say that the regret of not trusting yourself and doing what you feel to be the right thing is far more hard to handle than any other regret," his dad explained.

"So if I wanted to go after this? After whatever is between David and me?"

"I say do what you feel is right," Burt said.

"But I am barely an adult, Dad. I couldn't possibly know what is in my best interest right now. I have so many things going on."

"You aren't much younger than I was when I met your mom," Burt said softly and paused briefly before continuing. "I was 19 and I had a job lined up in Michigan. It paid really good money and I was going to move up there, but then I met your mom."

"You stayed in Lima because of mom?"

"Yeah. She was in her senior year of high school when we met. We had only been together for a month when it was time for me to move. I wanted her to come with me, but she wouldn't have that. She wanted to finish school and told me that I should go because it was a great opportunity."

"But you didn't go," Kurt said softly.

"No. I didn't. Because as great an opportunity that job in Michigan was, the opportunity I had with your mother was far greater," Burt explained with a small smile. " So I stayed here in Lima and your mother graduated and then 6 months later we got married."

"So the moral of the story is to wait around for love?" Kurt asked confused.

"No. The moral of the story is that my gut was telling me that my future wasn't in Michigan. It was with your mother. So I followed my gut and it gave me the best life in the world. I didn't have much time with your mother, but the time we did have was full of love and happiness. We had you and you are the best thing I ever did. And now I have Carole and I am happy. But I wouldn't have any of it had I gone to Michigan all those years ago."

"I still want to go to New York. I feel like it is where I belong," Kurt said.

"Then go to New York."

"But I also feel like I should try to figure out what this is between me and David," Kurt finished.

Burt took in a deep breath as he regarded his son carefully. "I say do what you feel you have to do in order to live your life without regrets." Kurt sat quietly as he watched his father get up from his chair and walk toward him. "I am going to go to bed. I have an early flight to catch tomorrow."

Kurt stood up and hugged his father. "I am going to miss you. I always do," he said as he held on to his father.

"I know. I feel really bad that I haven't been around here a lot this summer. And now you are moving away."

"It's alright. You and Carole will just have to come and visit me in New York."

"Yeah. I think Carole is going to love that," Burt said with a laugh.

"I know she will. And I will do my best to make sure you do too."

Burt sighed softly before replying. "As long as I get to see my boy happy, I am going to have a blast."

Kurt's eyes watered as he hugged his father again. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, son."

Kurt took advantage of the fact that he had an empty house. He needed to be alone and he needed to think.

What he had told his dad the night before was true. New York was his future. It was where he belonged. He felt it during the Glee trip to nationals the year before and the feeling had just grown stronger since.

But going to New York would mean leaving David and whatever was happening between them behind and Kurt wasn't sure if he was quite ready to let that go.

He had taken two days to think about what he wanted and now he knew.

Kurt Hummel wanted to go to New York.

But he also wanted Dave Karofsky.

Can you come over? I need to talk to you. –Kurt

Okay. Be there soon. –D

Kurt could feel his insides vibrating. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to say, but he knew he had to tell David where he stood.

Kurt was lost in his thoughts, trying to come up with a speech in his head when he heard a soft knock on the door. He felt his stomach flip as he opened the door and saw David standing there.

"Hi," Kurt whispered.

"Hey. Is something wrong?"

"No. I just needed to talk to you," Kurt said as he stepped aside so Dave could come in.

"Okay. I'm here. Shoot," Dave said.

"Okay. We can go to my room. Do you need a drink or anything?" Kurt said suddenly feeling nervous. He had never really felt nervous around Dave like this. The only other time he could recall was the first time he saw him after he had kissed him. He thought of that kiss and wondered what it would feel like to kiss him again… except this time they would both kiss back.

"No. I'm good. Are you okay?" Dave asked with concern tingeing his voice.

Kurt's face felt flushed and he realized he was blushing at the thought of kissing David again. "I'm fine," he said quickly as he led the other boy to his room.

Once they were inside, Dave took a seat on the edge of Kurt's bed and watched as Kurt paced in front of him.

"What's wrong, Kurt? You look like you are having a meltdown."

"I'm not having a meltdown. I just… Hear me out, okay?" Kurt said quickly and waited for David to nod before continuing. "I want to go to New York. I am going to New York. In 10 days I am moving to New York."

"Yeah. I know. You came over the other day and told me about the internship."

"But… I also want to try and figure out what is happening between us."

Dave sighed. "You can't do that Kurt. You are leaving. You don't need me to be something back home tying you down."

Kurt took a seat next to Dave on the bed. "But it is what I want. I need to know and I think you do too. It could work out."

"No Kurt. It won't. I'll be here in Lima and you will be in New York. I don't see how it could ever work out."

Kurt could see that Dave was trying to talk him out of this. "But it could. You don't know the future any better than I do."

"Kurt, just stop it. Please stop."

"No. We deserve answers and you are pushing me away."

"You don't understand."

"No. I honestly don't," Kurt said sadly. "Do you not feel anything here? Is that why?"

"You don't understand, Kurt… I am in love with you," Dave said helplessly.

"Why do you keep pushing me away then?" Kurt asked with an edge of hysteria.

"Because I can't hold you back," Dave stated. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me and I want nothing more than to be a part of your life forever, but I can't be something that you'll regret. It would kill me."

Kurt took ahold of Dave's shoulders as he leaned forward and placed a quick and soft kiss on David's lips. "David. I could never regret you. But I would regret leaving you without even trying to see what this is," Kurt whispered as he kept his grip on Dave's shoulders and looked into his eyes.

David's mouth quickly found Kurt's as the two grasped at each other. Kurt couldn't keep his hands from wandering from Dave's shoulders down his back and then back to the muscles peeking from his shirtsleeves. He hadn't given himself much time to think about what this moment would feel like, but even if he had he was sure his imagination couldn't compare to the actuality of it all. Kurt was lost in the firm press of lips on his lips and the soft grip David had on his hips and was convinced that he was content to just stay that way for a long time until he felt the slide of Dave's tongue across the seam of his lips. The silent question was being asked with Dave's tongue and Kurt opened his mouth eagerly to give his answer with his own. The two stayed that way. Tangled up in limbs and tongues until they suddenly weren't.

It was David who had finally broken the kiss. "Kurt. What are we doing?" he asked breathlessly.

Kurt huffed a small laugh. "I mean. It doesn't take a great mind of deductive reasoning to answer that question."

"I mean, in the grand scheme of things, what are we doing?" David asked helplessly. "This is stupid. You leave for New York in a week and a half. Nothing good can come from this."

Kurt knew David was right. They needed to stop before they got in too deep and they both got hurt.

That didn't keep him from arguing.

"I know I am leaving for New York and I know that this is stupid and rash, but … David, I don't want to stop. I want to be with you. I want you. Even if it's only for a short while."

"Kurt we can't do this. You don't know what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I am saying. Why can't you just trust that for once in my life I know exactly what I want? I second-guess myself on almost everything, but I have no doubt in my mind that I want to be with you. I want to see what this is. I can't leave without at least trying."

"But that's just it, Kurt. You are leaving. And in theory it may sound like a good idea, but you know that the whole long distance thing never really works. In very rare occasions, yes it does work, but you are leaving in ten days. That isn't really enough time to build a solid foundation for a long distance relationship."

"But it could work. We have cell phones and we can talk on Skype and I can still come home sometimes." Kurt said with a frantic edge to his voice before taking in a deep breathe to calm down. "It could work," Kurt whispered feebly.

"Kurt. You are going to be in New York. I could never forgive myself if you spent all your time talking to me through a computer instead of spending all your time taking in the city."

"But I want to be with you," Kurt said softly as tears began to fall down his cheeks.

"We can't, Kurt. There is just not enough time for us to work through everything. It isn't fair to tie you down with a long distance boyfriend when you are going to be in a city full of other guys who would love the chance to take you out. You deserve that, Kurt."

"You don't get to decide what I deserve. Besides there is no way to even guarantee that other guys in New York will want to date me. And even if they did, I wouldn't want to be with them because I would want to be with you," Kurt replied.

David looked distraught before a soft look of resignation came over his features. "I'll make you a deal."

"What?" Kurt whispered.

"I will make a deal with you. We can be together in every way that you want for the next 10 days. Once that time is up and it is time for you to leave, we call it off. You go to New York and you don't have anything holding you back. We get to be together like you want, but I also get what I want. I won't hold you back."

"You wouldn't hold me back. You could never."

"You say that now. I don't want you to wake up one day and resent me, Kurt."

"So let me get this straight. We will be together, no holds barred, as long as we cut it off when I leave? What if I don't want to cut it off? What if I want to try the long distance thing?"

"Then I won't agree to anything."

Kurt huffed. "This isn't fair, David. You're being manipulative and cruel. I am standing here telling you that I want to be with you to see what this could be and you are saying that we can as long as we call it off when I leave and just go back to being friends?"

"I guess that is the concise version. Yes."

"That's stupid, David. What if I just stayed? What if I didn't take you up on the deal?" Kurt asked with defiance.

"You aren't going to stay. You and I both know that. New York is what you have always wanted."

Kurt groaned in frustration. "But I also want you. Why can't you understand that?"

"Because you want New York more," Dave whispered, heartbroken.

Kurt couldn't argue with that. He knew it was the truth. He couldn't pass up the opportunity he had before him. When he thought of his life in terms of the future, New York was always a part of it. But recently Dave had begun to make guest appearances and it confused Kurt more than he was willing to admit. He thought it was unfair that he couldn't get everything he wanted. After a rough senior year, he just wanted these two things. He wanted New York and he wanted Dave. There was only one way he would get both.

"We can be together then? For the next 10 days. When I leave we go back to being friends. Those are the terms of your deal?" Kurt asked.

"Yeah," Dave replied softly.

"This isn't fair, Dave. To just decide to call everything off and go back to being friends when I leave. It's not fair." Kurt said dejectedly.

"Believe me I know," Dave said looking into Kurt's eyes. And that was when it hit Kurt. He may not be in love with Dave right now, but Dave was in love with him. The fact that Dave was willing to let his heart get broken just so Kurt could get what he wanted. It was so very sad.

"Okay," Kurt said sadly as he took Dave's face in his own hands. "Deal," he whispered before crushing their lips together.

A/N: Wow hey look at that. An update that only took a month. And we are finally at the meaty bit of the whole story. Not going to lie I am pretty pumped for the next few chapters. Everything up to this point has been a build up for the final arc that I have had planned for over a year now and I really hope you guys like it. Normal disclaimer...I have no beta so any and all mistakes are mine. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and hopefully the next chapter will be your way soon since I have had most of it and the last chapter written for over a year now. Let me know if you loved it or hated it. I like hearing your thoughts on things. Thank you for reading. I hope you guys liked it!