CHAPTER ELEVEN


Hudson looks kind of uncomfortable, like he wants to say something, but instead asks what kind of soda he wants. He shrugs, because he's easy with whatever and waits for Hudson to spit it out.

"So uh, I just wanted to say thank you."

"Uh, for what?"

"Well, being there for Kurt when I couldn't be. I mean, I talked this talk last year, at the wedding when our parents got married, saying I'd always be there for him and then… this happened and I wasn't even there for him. I didn't even notice." Dave doesn't know what to say, he hadn't expected Hudson to talk about it. "I'm just really glad you were there at the bowling alley."

"What bowling alley?"

"Beside the club? My mom said you had been bowling and that's when you saw Kurt."

"Hudson, I was at the gay club. I'm gay."

"What? So you weren't bowling?"

"Oh my god. No. I wasn't bowling. The bowling club is across town. I was having a drink, and well… I didn't do anything really, I just… helped Kurt pick up the pieces."

"More than I did," Hudson says, and it's almost like the guy is sulking.

"Dude, are you pissed that you weren't there to help Kurt or pissed that you didn't get to save him, because if it's the latter then it's kind of screwed up." Hudson looks confused and he sighs. "The latter is last one."

"I… just feel like Kurt shuts me out. Like, Puck knew before I did and punched Blaine, and when Kurt transferred to Dalton, he just… keeps things to himself all the time."

"Hudson man, you really should be talking to Kurt about this, not me. He's your brother." He turns to head back out to the lounge, still kind of worried about how the hell Kurt knows, or thinks he knows, that he can sing. He's nowhere near in Kurt's league and he is never singing in front of him.

"So, are you guys friends now?"

"Hudson, he's been coming round to my house every Wednesday for dinner for like weeks. Yeah, I think you can safely say we're friends. Just friends."

That seems to elicit a reaction from him and his eyes go wide.

"Wait. You're gay?"

"You told Finn?"

He looks between the surprised expression on Kurt's face, and the bewildered one on Hudson's and nods, effectively answering both of them.

"Uh… are you prepared for more people to know? I mean, Finn's not exactly a master of discretion."

"Hey! I'm right here. And I won't tell anyone. But dude, are you sure?"

"Yes. It might have taken me a while but yeah, I'm sure," he states, sharing a soft smile with Kurt. The fact that he can refer to the hell he made Kurt's life, even obliquely, in front of him and not feel like absolute shit, and Kurt doesn't look upset. It releases something inside, guilt that he'd been hording for moments when he felt like shit so he had something extra to bash himself over the head with. It feels good to let it go a little more, although he doubts it'll ever be gone completely.

LSY

"So, Azimio, I hear you have a game called Rock Band."

"Where did you hear that?"

"Where do you think? Anyway, I was wondering if I could try it out."

"Since when did you like playing games?"

"Dave taught me how to play Halo."

"Dude, he tried to teach you. You said it was too violent," Finn interjects and he sniffs, shrugs and concedes the point with a slight incline of his head.

"Well, it was too violent. Which is why Dave suggested Rock Band. I like the sound of it. Do you think we could have a play at your house?"

"Dude, can you make it sound like, less gay?" He raises his eyebrows and gives him the best 'excuse me?' expression he can muster. He knows Dave has been trying to get Azimio to cut out the slurs and language, and he's all for it. "Dude, I don't want you to come to my house and have a play. You can come round and have jam session. Fucking Christ."

Okay, so maybe he's being a little harsh on the guy, and he feels for him as his eyes widen in what he can only describe as terror as the entire glee club decide that going to Azimio Adam's house to play Rock Band sounds like a fantastic idea. He has to bite back a grin as he stands to clear his tray and get to his next class.

"Hell no. You guys aren't coming to my house. No way."

"You might as well give in. They have a hive mind when it comes to something they want," Kurt states, and he gives him a quick grin over his shoulder as he walks away. Az gives him the finger, but it just makes him laugh.

LSY

All he'd heard on Tuesday night was Az bitching about the glee club, which, to be fair, was nothing out of the ordinary, but the fact that they are all descending upon his house to play on his Xbox has him chuckling. He'd suggested that Az just lock the doors and not let them in, but that had got him a punch on the arm and reminded that his mom wouldn't let him be rude to guests like that. He'd turned down the invitation to join them, glad he has the excuse of a game to use, because even Kurt can't wheedle him into missing a game just to play Rock Band, although he's pretty sure Kurt has his mind set on them playing together at some point, which is fine, as long as he doesn't expect him to sing.

School is… weird. He's pretty sure that some of the guys might suspect now, but no one has yet said anything, although Carl has definitely upped the homophobic slurs and name-calling to a whole new level, which makes him wary despite none of it being directed his way. He's talked it over with Terence, and together they make note of the guys that seem to back Carl, and the guys that really don't seem to care. The friendship with Terence seems to have considerably lessened his personal weirdness factor though, and he can tell the teams accept him a little more despite his odd lunchtime rituals.

Honey hasn't given up. In fact she has doubled her efforts. He's come to school to find his locker stuffed full with little paper hearts with sickeningly-cute sayings on them, like hundreds of candy hearts, but paper instead. He'd taken her to the side and let her down gently. Again. Told her that he really wasn't interested in dating her. At all. Ever. The more he resists though the harder she seems to try and he just doesn't get it, even with the whole prom queen thing, surely she'd be able to put her efforts toward a guy that is actually interested and campaigning for nomination and votes honestly. He doesn't know if it's paranoia or if he should actually be worried, but Kara cackles every time she sees him, eyes glinting with untold mischief and Terence won't tell him anything. He's filled in Nate, glad to have him back, even when he somehow manages to get details from Kara and seems far too amused by his plight with Honey.

On Wednesday, as suspected, Kurt tries to coerce him into joining them to play Rock Band and he informs him he has a hockey game to play and laughs when Kurt pulls a face. A small part of him wants to offer a trade, but instead he tells him about school, complains about Honey, and Kurt is the only person who doesn't seem amused by it. He kind of wants to tell him about Terence, but he'd asked him, and he wants to keep it quiet, so not even Nate knows.

Kurt and Claire talk about babies, and he's gotten used to the idea now, although the idea of leaving what has always been his home and never returning makes him melancholy. He has to remind himself it's just a house, and that it's the people that are the most important. His dad and Claire are still discussing the different pros and cons of different places, and lists litter the house. He's gotten used to Claire muttering under her breath about not wanting to live too close to her mom, and he really wishes he could offer a solution.

Saturday's game is brutal, but he loves being on the ice, stepping off and feeling revitalized. Alive. He goes to the after party, but insists on driving so refuses the celebratory drinks. He smiles at the text messages he has when he eventually checks his phone. '96% on Expert!' from Kurt and 'Fuck, when will they leave?' from Az. There're more of course, so many from Kurt it's like a running commentary and it's almost like he was there, especially when he intersperses Az's 'I know Hudson can play drums, but dude nearly broke my set!' and 'Man, that Berry chick won't give up the microphone to anyone.' He kind of wishes he could have been there, but judging from the text messages he knows there will be a repeat soon.

LSY

Preparations for Regionals are in full swing and January slips by so rapidly it takes him by surprise when the first Wednesday of February arrives and Dave says he's free to play Rock Band that weekend, if it doesn't clash with extra glee practices. He mentions that Terence and Nate want to play as well, so it'd be the five of them if Kurt can make it. He's more than okay with that, he's been kind of curious to meet this Nathan that Dave talks about so much.

When Saturday afternoon rolls around and he pulls up outside Azimio's house he pauses for a second, realizing that he's willingly planning on spending a couple of hours in the company of four other guys. Sure Dave is a friend, and so is Azimio in a really weird way, but Terence and Nathan are unknowns, although Terence reminds him of a gentle giant. He knocks and lets himself in when Az just shouts at him to come in. That means his mom is clearly not home, and he pushes the door open, heading for the den.

The only person he doesn't recognize has to be Nathan, and he's not sure what he expected, but he supposes he expected someone bigger. Nathan is definitely taller than Kurt, but he's rake thin, and he looks even skinnier standing between Dave and Terence as they all unravel cables and pull out the guitars from the cases Azimio keeps them in. Az had commandeered the drums, which doesn't surprise him considering the fuss he kicked up when Finn wanted to have a turn last time they played. The drums are clearly his domain.

"Hi, you must be Kurt. I've heard a lot about you."

"Likewise. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Yeah, for some reason I think Dave thought it was in his best interests to keep us separated for as long as possible. Worried we might gang up on him."

He remembers Dave saying something about Nathan, that there was something that he wasn't at liberty to share, and looking at the smiling and confident man he can't imagine what kind of history he might have, but knows he might never find out. He makes a quip that maybe they can gang up against Dave's wardrobe, sending Dave a grin to let him know he's just joking and gets a responding eye roll. It feels good.

Terence and Dave both take guitars, and he'd tried those last time and ended up so frustrated he'd wanted to throw the damn thing at the TV screen. He'll stick with singing, although Azimio is handing both him and Nathan microphones. His little avatar is already standing on the stage on screen and he chews his lip. He doesn't really want to loose his expert ranking, and he can't believe he's being competitive over what is just a game but he can't help the question that slips out.

"Can you sing?"

"A bit. Haven't in a long time, but it's not something you exactly forget is it?"

He lets his mouth close on the argument and concedes that no, for some people they would never forget how to sing. Az selects one of the songs, and they aren't Broadway songs, but the game is called Rock Band for a reason and it's nice to stretch his vocal chords with different genres. When the lyrics appear he begins singing, starting a little as Nathan joins in, because holy shit, he can sing. They work their way through a set list of three songs before stopping for a break. He's a bit breathless from the pace but he's still startled that the voice that came out of Nathan is a lot like his own, if slightly deeper and not quite with such a wide range.

"You're not in Vocal Adrenaline are you?" His eyes flick to Dave, because he's pretty sure Dave would have told him if he were.

"Me? No. I'd never get up on stage and sing like that."

"What? Why not?" He can't fathom not performing, but he catches a flash of something on Dave's face and okay, he's not an idiot. "Well, I for one am glad you don't like performing, because it means one less fabulous voice I have to compete against. You can really sing."

"Thanks. My mom taught me. She sings pretty well."

"She must do. Wow."

He looks a little embarrassed at the attention and Kurt hopes he hasn't said anything to upset him. He accepts the glass of water Azimio offers him and decides to sit the next couple of songs out, because now he kind of wants to watch Dave do something he so obviously enjoys. He uses the excuse of resting his voice and settles down to watch for the next three songs, catching Dave's eye he grins widely. It feels more than good.