"You know," Dave too casually began, "I know the truth."

"Truth about what?" Sebastian asked.

"I wasn't talking to you."

At first, Sebastian was offended until he looked up at Dave's ornery face. Then, he realized where Dave was headed with this and leaned back on the picnic bench. With a half-smile on his face, he turned to look at Carolyn, who was busy eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She wasn't paying attention to them at all, way too absorbed with her food.

Dave cleared his throat.

No response.

Dave cleared his throat again.

Carolyn swallowed her food.

"AAA-HEMMMM!"

This time, Carolyn looked over. When she saw Dave's silly, half-smiling face, she smiled back. Dave's heart warmed at the sight. Sebastian felt like he was watching a tennis match as he leaned further back in his seat. By then, Sebastian's head was exposed to the brilliant sunlight, no longer shielded by the picnic table's umbrella.

Still, Carolyn kept smiling at him and Dave didn't say another word. So, she shrugged and turned back to eating her sandwich. Sebastian momentarily burst out laughing as Dave exaggeratedly sighed.

"I said, I know the truth."

But Carolyn just kept eating! Sebastian had to cover his mouth with silent laughter. He glanced at Dave who was half-heartedly glaring at Sebastian's little sister. Then, Dave decided to switch tactics.

With an abruptly serious look on his face, Dave slammed both of his fists on the table.

That got Carolyn's attention. She whipped her head up to Dave, swallowed yet another bite, and looked at him with a little fear in her eyes.

Dave glared. Carolyn was scared. Sebastian quietly laughed.

"W-what truth?" Carolyn asked with her delicate, small voice. Dave almost relented at seeing her so scared, but knew this would be worth it. Oh so worth it!

"Well," Dave slowly and authoritatively began, "I know you were lying that day at the carnival."

Carolyn's eyes bulged. "I wasn't lying! W-what lie?"

She glanced at Sebastian, saw no help there, and looked back at Dave with terrified eyes. Dave couldn't take it anymore and softened his features.

"Do you know what I did about it?" Dave asked.

"A-about what? I-I didn't liiiie!"

Dave had to look down for a moment to hide his smile. Sebastian nudged his knee. When Dave looked up, Sebastian motioned for Dave to let her off the hook. Dave quickly nodded and returned his neutral stare to Carolyn.

"Yes, you did."

Carolyn was now visibly shaking. Dave decided to end her suffering.

"I know you and Sebastian set me up," Dave said with tongue-in-cheek. "I know you were pretending to be lost. And you know what I did about it?"

Carolyn put her arms around her defensively and stared at Dave with even more widened eyes.

"N-n-nooo." Carolyn whimpered.

Dave again had to look down to hide a smile. Sebastian just sat there completely amused. Then, quite suddenly, Dave snapped his head back up, pointing at Sebastian, but looking at Carolyn.

"I tickled him to death!"

Instantly relieved, Carolyn relaxed. And then, just as instantly, she stared at Dave, wide-eyed and alarmed. Dave growled and slowly stood up. Carolyn screamed and stood up as well. An evil smile on his face, Dave raised his arms in attack position, and started to make his way towards her.

Carolyn gleefully screamed and the chase began.

Dave kept growling with that ornery smile as he chased her around the picnic table. Carolyn's arms flailed about her as she ran and ran, giggling the whole way.

"You know I'm going to catch you!" Dave said, and then yelled, "Give up, Carolyn!"

"Nooooo!"

Carolyn, realizing Dave was easily catching up, ran throughout the Smythe's backyard, towards their grapevine. Dave's outstretched hands almost snatched her up before she made a sharp right turn. Stunned, Dave flashed a grin towards Sebastian.

"Where do you think she gets her nimbleness from?" Sebastian asked between laughs. Resuming the hunt, Dave caught up to a happily screaming Carolyn just as she rounded the far edge of the grapevine.

"Ah-HAAA!" Dave exclaimed.

Carolyn laughingly screamed as she was hoisted over his shoulder. She slapped his back as best she could, but it got her nowhere. Then, Dave grabbed her ankles and carried her upside down back towards the picnic table. Her hair was almost touching the ground in this position and her laughs just kept coming. Dave's broad, boyish smile matched his triumph.

When he got back to the table, he gently dropped her on the ground and then put his arms on either side of her, effectively trapping her. He very briefly and evilly smiled at her and the Ticklefest began.

Sebastian chuckled and watched them. He couldn't get over how boyish and paternal his boyfriend truly was, as Dave's hands viciously tickled the hysterically laughing girl. As he watched, his mind drifted to Dave and their future. What kind of a father would Dave be? Would they have children at all? Would they be together for a long time? And then, a subtle fear crept into his brain. Would he be a good father? His own father was absolutely no role model whatsoever. Hell, Sebastian was a better father to Carolyn then their own dad.

His eyes glazed over as Dave's fingers found the other side of Carolyn's ribs. Sebastian wanted to be happy with Dave and knew their relationship had just begun, with an impending move in just a few weeks. He wasn't even sure he was ready to even live with Dave. But everything has a starting point and Dave's sheer confidence in him and their relationship spoke volumes to Sebastian's determination to make their relationship work.

He wanted to make Dave happy. Or happier. Whatever the case truly was, he knew Dave was right for him. And he hoped he was right for Dave. But he knew he'd have to keep his concerns to himself. Dave would annoyingly scold him about his lack of self-esteem and he didn't want that. So, Sebastian forced his thoughts away just as the Ticklefest ended.

Victoriously, Dave stood, towering over the still-laughing girl. Huge smile on his face, he turned and plopped back on the picnic bench. He barely had time to grab his second sandwich before a slightly angry girl slapped him on his bicep.

"Owwww. That huuuuurt!" Dave exaggeratedly whined.

Carolyn's scowl soon turned into a smile. Then, she skipped around the picnic table, sat down in her seat, and resumed finishing her peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Dave then turned his smiling face to Sebastian and quickly grew concerned.

"Seb? You OK?"

Sebastian quickly shook his head and smiled at him. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Not quite convinced, Dave half-smiled and took an enormous bite of his ham sandwich. He chewed a couple of times, still staring at his boyfriend, before he came to a complete halt. Suddenly, he opened his mouth wide.

"Dave! Gross!" Sebastian exclaimed.

Dave giggled and chewed some more.

.

"There's only one thing I'm worried about."

The sudden statement jolted a drowsy Dave out of his slumber. He nearly let his arms drop away from his boyfriend, who had suddenly uttered that phrase. Shaking his head slightly, he shifted a little on the couch as music could be heard from a nearby stereo.

"What's that?" Dave asked, wiping his mouth with his hand and shaking his head again.

"Well," Sebastian began, fiddling with the hem of his khaki shorts, a nervous habit Dave had come to love. "we have our dorms assigned, tuition paid for thanks to scholarships and grants, I have a job interview lined up the day after we arrive, we have all of our belongings…oh! And a rental truck-"

"Seb." Dave patiently interrupted. "What's wrong?"

Sebastian exhaled loudly, looking towards the back of the couch. Dave slightly tightened his arms around him, waiting for Sebastian's inevitable response.

But he was silent. Dave shifted his head so he could see Sebastian's face. When he did, Sebastian turned the other way. So, Dave did too, a cute, yet slightly annoyed smile on his face. The boys suddenly made this a game, chuckling a little, until Dave brought his hands up on either side of his boyfriend's head, grinding the game to a halt.

"Seb," Dave said, letting his hands slip down Sebastian's face, across his shoulders, and resting on his torso.

"What's wrong?"

"Carolyn."

They said nothing for a long while. No words were needed. The music shifted to a slightly sad number, possibly from the '60s. But the boys weren't listening in David Karofsky's air-conditioned living room that July day. They were just two boys who were afraid for the future of Carolyn Smythe. And they should've been.

.

It was the day before moving day. The boys were arriving much earlier than many students would arrive, since Dave had to be there weeks before the semester began, due to his American football scholarship. And they didn't care. They'd get to explore the culture that was Columbus, Ohio, the location of The Ohio State University. Columbus was much bigger than Lima, with a much bigger and more active gay community. They were excited, but scared. Who wouldn't be?

Dave had already been to Columbus and back several times. When he was younger, his dad took him to Ohio Stadium for American football games, which drove his interest in the aggressive sport. But in much more recent times, Dave had football orientation soon after high school graduation and had already partially moved into his athletic dorm, and met his roommate. But still, he would be a relative newcomer to the city. And college life is like no other.

So, the boys were excited about the move. But scared.

Sebastian was helping Dave pack, as Dave rattled on and on about what he'd be doing as an American football player. Since Sebastian knew next to nothing about football, Dave thought he was doing him a favor. He wasn't.

"…shuck the guy up and out with my arms. Like this? See?" Dave asked, demonstrating with his tree-trunk arms. But Sebastian was very slowly folding one of Dave's t-shirts and lightly depositing it in a suitcase. Dave narrowed his eyes.

"Seb?"

"What? Oh…sorry."

"Seb? What's going on?"

Sebastian stopped fiddling with the perfectly folded t-shirt, fixing the corners unnecessarily. Still looking down, he soon felt a soft, but large hand on his shoulder, slightly squeezing. And still, Sebastian stared into the bowels of the suitcase, as if answers were there.

"Seb?" Dave oh so softly asked.

No answer. Quickly concerned, Dave reached across Sebastian, gently turning him to him. Then, he put his index finger under Sebastian's chin, lifting his face to see his eyes. Dave's own eyes widened at the incredibly devastating sadness that emanated!

"Seb?" Dave nervously asked. "What's wrong?"

Sebastian wriggled out of Dave's grasp and rushed to him. Arms quickly and strongly enveloped him as Sebastian's breathing quickly became erratic. They stood there like that for quite a while, as an arm would occasionally stroke Sebastian's head and back comfortingly. After what must've been a full minute, Sebastian slowly pulled back, looking up into very worried hazel eyes.

"I'm…" Sebastian began, wiping a tearless eye. "I'm worried about…Carolyn."

Dave sighed. "I know. And there's not much we can do about it."

"And that's just it, isn't it?" Sebastian asked alarmingly. "She'll be stuck with my asshole, neglectful father and there will be nothing…nothing I can do about it."

"Oh, Seb…" Dave began. "Lima will only be an hour and a half drive away."

"I know," Sebastian said, yet again wiping an eye, probably unnecessarily. "But still…"

They held each other for a little while longer before Sebastian started in again.

"You know," he shook his head, "Dad tried to mess with me again."

Dave's eyebrows furrowed. "What happened?"

Sebastian felt arms slightly tighten around him and he had to hide a little smile. "He said he wasn't going to give me any money at all and he…"

Arms tightened even further.

"What?" Dave softly asked.

Sebastian shook his head, probably fighting off tears. "He said he'd take good care of Carolyn."

Dave inhaled sharply. "Oh."

"You know he won't, Dave." Sebastian said, gripping Dave's t-shirt on his back. "He won't and I'm worried…"

Dave smirked, which was apparently the wrong thing to do, as Sebastian quickly looked offended.

"Dave, there is absolutely nothing that could be funny about this."

Dave quickly recoiled and said, "I love this side of you."

"What side?"

"Your protective side."

Sebastian huffed, looking away. "Fat lotta good that does me…"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Sebastian slowly began, "I'm basically raising her, Dave. When I leave…she'll be on her own. Or might as well be." And then, his features hardened. "Asshole father."

"Look, Seb," Dave gently began, "This is hard for all of us. We're moving to Columbus, we're starting college, we're living in dorms for a semester before we're allowed to live together, we're…" Dave looked away. "We're moving on."

Sebastian slightly narrowed his eyes. "What's your point?"

Dave looked back at him, loving how his boyfriend's emerald eyes danced in the natural light.

"I mean," Dave gently clarified, "we have our own, difficult lives to deal with. We have to make sure we're OK too."

"She's my sister, Dave." Sebastian said, a little offended. "And in case you've forgotten, my neglectful dad won't do a damn thing-"

"Hear me out." Dave interrupted, leaning in a bit closer. Sebastian abruptly closed his mouth, his arms sliding down to Dave's waist. "When we're settled and in a better position in our new lives, we'll be better able and equipped to deal with your sister's situation. Maybe we can go see her every weekend and maybe during the week. We can make sure she gets to school on time and we can take her to a movie or something and we can…"

Dave went on and on. And Sebastian listened attentively…for a while. But as Dave's paternal and protective side was being fully stated, Sebastian suddenly found himself not listening. He knew Dave was right, of course. And a small part of him hated that fact. But as Dave talked, Sebastian found that not only was Dave right, but he was right too…about something else.

.