Chapter 12
By TeddysHoney

As it turned out, Alex's phone call was rather important. He left a voicemail, and as soon as Kurt could pull himself away from Blaine's pants—and staring at his butt—sending him back into the closet to change into his regular clothes, satisfied he had all the measurements he needed to make the final alterations, he listened to the voicemail.

"Hey, Kurt. It's Alex. I need to meet early. There's this extra stuff I need to do to help my parents prep for my sister's engagement party. Let's do breakfast at The Lima Bean at 8:30 tomorrow morning instead. If that doesn't work, just text me. I really need to talk to you, and I'm looking forward to seeing you. Thanks. Bye."

"Bad news?" Blaine asked when Kurt clicked off his phone.

"No. Alex just needs to meet earlier than I thought. It's fine, though."

It didn't really feel fine to Blaine. His anxiety was through the roof, despite how hard he was trying to ignore it. What if they get back together? What will happen then? Will I lose my chance at telling Kurt how I feel forever?

"What do you wanna do now?" Kurt asked, oblivious to Blaine's swirling emotions.

"Uh, how about a movie? Just have a lazy afternoon?"

"Sounds great to me."

—*—

Sunday, April 29

The next morning, Kurt was at The Lima Bean at 8:15. As he stood in line to get his coffee, he wondered what it was that Alex wanted to talk about. It sounded like he had an agenda now, not like this was just a regular hangout to catch up as they'd originally planned. Maybe he wants to get back together? I can't do that, though. We talked about how the distance wouldn't work, and I couldn't do that to Blaine anyway. I know that what we have isn't real, yet I can't hurt him. And besides, there is something real in my heart, even if Blaine will never reciprocate that feeling. My answer has to be no, even if he does ask me. He's cute, but he's not Blaine, just like Mercedes said.

"Hey, cutie."

Kurt turned, smiling when he saw Alex standing behind him. He looked just like he always did, dressed in a tight-fitting t-shirt, ripped jeans, and a dark leather coat, boots on his feet. Why does he remind me of Blaine all of a sudden? Kurt mused. Oh, right. The Olivia Newton John thing. "Hey." He felt awkward, like he wasn't sure what to say.

"It's nice to see you again," Alex said. "It's been a while."

"Yeah. It has. I'm glad you had time to meet me for coffee and breakfast. It'll be good to catch up."

"Right. Sorry to move the time so suddenly. Apparently, my sister's having a whole fancy party with champagne and waiters serving tiny foods and a DJ. It sounds like an entire second wedding reception, including gifts, so we have a bunch of set-up to do. I have to be at the venue to help with tables and chairs at 10:30. Sorry that we don't have long." He smiled apologetically.

"Don't worry," Kurt reassured him. "A few hours are better than nothing."

When it was his turn to order, he told the barista what he wanted then stood off to the side, waiting for it. He wondered if Alex would comment on him ordering the same coffee he always did, just like Blaine teased him, but Alex made no comment. Maybe he doesn't remember? Or maybe he never knew. Blaine knows. He mulled over that for a few moments until the barista was calling out his name. "I'll go find us a table," he told Alex before walking away with his drink and the chocolate muffin he'd ordered.

Kurt found a quiet table back in the corner, away from the few other patrons who were in the coffee shop. He specifically chose a seat with his back to the door so he could focus on Alex for the short time they had together.

"So," Alex said when he slid into a chair across from Kurt, "what's new in your world? Anything exciting?"

They chatted for a few minutes about this and that. Kurt told him about his dad's tire shop and how he was running for Prom King. Alex told him about college and how he was enjoying his freedom and his classes. When the small talk finally lulled, Alex said, "I hate to just jump into it like this. There's something I really need you to know, though."

"Oh, god," Kurt chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee. "Is it something that's going to break my heart? It sounds serious."

"Well, I don't think it will. I'd hate to do that to you again," Alex chuckled.

Kurt smiled, glad that they could joke around about their amicable breakup, even if he was feeling a million other emotions running through him. Why do I have this unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach? "Just tell me," he said, hoping he was keeping the concern from his voice. "The suspense is killing me."

"I need to ask you an important favor," Alex admitted with a sigh, taking a bite of the cinnamon scone he'd purchased and had, so far, left untouched. "It's something that's really important to me, and I wouldn't trust anyone else with the job."

"Of course. I am the best, most trustworthy person you know, I'm sure," Kurt teased, trying so hard to keep it light.

"Mhm… Well, it's kinda complicated to explain… You see, there's someone special I need you to look after."

Kurt nodded slowly, waiting for more.

Alex got on his phone then, starting to look around for something, not saying a word.

Annoyed, Kurt joked, "Just spit it out already, please."

"Okay. So, I need you to look after…him." Alex flipped his phone around, showing Kurt a picture.

—*—

Sebastian pulled up to The Lima Bean just after 8:30. He was meeting Karofsky there because his message had said it was really important, and for his sake, it had damn well better be. Sebastian was not a fan of waking up early, and he wasn't a fan of being lied to, either. This had better be good. Really good.

His bad mood was uplifted just a bit when, as he was walking in to order the largest coffee they had, he spotted Ladyface sitting at the table with a tall blonde. Oooooh! He's cheating on Blaine! Yes! This is the proof that I needed to win back that gel-wearing Anderson once and for all. He decided then and there that coffee wasn't nearly as important as eavesdropping, so he found a table nearby them where Kurt wouldn't be able to see him and listened in.

And he was quickly bored again after hearing them mention Burt Hummel, the tire shop, a college he didn't care about, and the phrase "after we broke up" a few different times. This is his ex, isn't it? I am really striking out today. I never had this much bad luck in Paris.

Sighing, Sebastian rose and went to the counter, ordering himself a gigantic coffee anyway, choosing a booth on the opposite side of the room from Kurt and his sexy daddy longlegs. He wanted to be able to ogle the blonde while simultaneously glaring at Hummel, and he hoped that Dave arrived soon. He was ready to go home.

Finally, when it was nearing nine, there was a heavy thud as Dave sat down on the chair opposite Sebastian. "Hey."

"Don't 'hey' me. I've been here, waiting on you for more than 30 minutes. I was bored, and spying on Ladyface is annoying. This had better be good because I am tired. If you made me get up at the crack of dawn on a Sunday for something stupid, I'm going to be sure that no one ever talks to you at Scandals ever again, let alone considers dating you."

Dave shrugged. "Fine by me."

Sebastian stared at him, flabbergasted. "What do you mean 'fine by you'?"

"I mean that it's fine. Because I'm not here to talk to you about anything stupid. And I'm not looking for a date."

"What the hell is it? And what does it have to do with Scandals?"

"Oh, my god. It's not really about Scandals." Leaning to one side, Dave pulled something small and hard out of his pocket and set it in the middle of the table. "It's about this."

Sebastian looked long and hard at it for a minute. Finally, he asked, "What is that?"

"It's Kurt's brooch. You know, the hippo head one that I stole from him that day before we talked at Scandals? The one I was playing with at the bar while I was sipping my drink?"

"And why are you giving it to me? I want nothing to do with that soft, spineless boyfriend stealer. All I'm interested in is Blaine. Hummel is your thing."

"I'm not giving it to you. I'm here to tell you my plan. Because I'm tired of waiting."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I…have figured out once and for all how I'm going to get Kurt to be mine. And you're part of my plan."

—*—

Kurt just stared at Alex's phone for a moment. "Who's that?" he finally asked.

"That's my cousin, Landon. He's coming to live with my sister to finish out the school year because his parents are going overseas for a while for his dad's job, and Landon doesn't have a passport or time to get one. So, he's coming to McKinley, and he's… Well, he's kinda not like everyone else. He's gay, too, by the way, and he has a hard time relating to others. He's had some trouble at school. So, I just want him to have a friend there to help him transition. Or at least someone he kinda knows."

"Right," Kurt said. "And I'm the logical choice for that, of course." He couldn't decide whether he felt relieved or concerned about how this was going to affect his relationship with Blaine the week before Prom. Things between Blaine and I are already so hard to read, and now we have to look after someone else, too? There's so much to do between prepping our songs and finishing the tuxes and just…balancing the insane feelings I get when I look at his face or his cute round butt. This is Alex, though. He's asking a simple favor, and I can't say no…

"So, I know it's a lot to ask, especially so close to Prom. However, I really think he needs a friend. And I heard through the grapevine that you finally got together with Blaine, so I was hoping the two of you would be willing to look after him."

"Sure. We'd be happy to give him a friend. He could join the LGBT groups at school to find some friends." Kurt decided to ignore the part about "finally" getting together with Blaine. Maybe if he didn't address it, Alex would drop the subject.

"That's a great idea, Kurt. Thanks so much for agreeing. It means a lot to me." He paused, eating some more of his scone and giving Kurt the eyeball. "Sooooo…" he said finally, smiling, a hint of smugness in his eyes. "Gonna tell me how you got together with Blaine? I always knew that was going to happen. You two are meant to be."

Kurt considered that for a moment. He wasn't the first person to say that, and he was beginning to wonder if there was something about Blaine that he was missing. I mean, I know there have been moments where I've wondered, kisses that have felt like real kisses instead of fake ones, but I don't know. Maybe Alex is just jealous. "Well, you know. Blaine asked me to Prom."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"What do you mean?" Kurt asked, eying his ex suspiciously. He wasn't sure he was up for this line of questioning.

"I mean, there was no fanfare after all that time you spent pining after him? Nothing else that led you two to be together? He just asked you out to Prom, and it was all natural after that?"

"Uh…"

Alex smirked at him. "You don't have to tell me. You can keep your secrets. I just wondered what finally made the two most oblivious guys I know finally admit their feelings for each other. I'm happy you finally did it, though. I knew, even when we were together, that the two of you were meant to be."

Kurt gulped. If only you knew how very few feelings have been admitted to each other, he fretted. "And that, uh, that didn't bother you?"

"No. Not really. I knew I was being given a wonderful chance to help you learn what being in love would feel like. I'm sure that sounds pompous, but I just wanted you to know, when you and Blaine finally did admit what your heart eyes were already telling the world, that he was truly your love, not any of the other relationships you would have before him."

"It's only been you," Kurt admitted softly. And I think you were reading Blaine wrong. As wonderful and amazing as fake dating has been, as much as it's made my skin tingle to kiss him, it doesn't seem like any of this is real to him. He still just sees me as his best friend, not dating material. There have been times I've wondered, though…

Alex only nodded, not saying anything else about it. He drank a bit more coffee and ate a few more bites of scone before saying, "So, do you want to know all about my drama teacher at college? She is a hoot!"

Nodding vigorously, Kurt listened to Alex tell him all about the crazy things she'd had them do in class while inside, he could feel his attitude shifting to an even more determined state. I need to tell Blaine once and for all how I feel. I'm tired of playing pretend. I'm tired of hiding it. Even if he doesn't feel the same way and Alex was reading him wrong, he wasn't reading me wrong. I need to tell him. Now. He resolved to text Blaine when he was done with his breakfast date and find a time to go over there.

—*—

For a minute, Sebastian just stared at Dave. I thought I was the one coming up with the plan. I thought I was the mastermind. Now, he's got a plan all of a sudden? What the hell? "Spit it out," he finally said, doing his best to maintain his uncaring air. "What's your plan?"

"Well, Kurt's going to Prom with Blaine, right? And you want Blaine back. I can't figure out what you want with him since you can apparently have the dick of every gay guy in town. You want Anderson, though. And so far, your little plan hasn't done anything. We've proven nothing. So, I'm going to sabotage the Prom King and Queen election. I'm going to do what I should have done last year. Kurt and I will be elected Kings—I'll make sure of that—and I'm going to make a passionate speech about everything he's done for me and everything I can give to him. I'm going to ask him to be my boyfriend, and I'm going to present him with this brooch. I'll tell him that I'm giving him my heart for safekeeping, represented by the brooch. And I'll tell him I found it somewhere after we hung out that day. It will be a huge, romantic gesture. He will have no choice but to say yes."

"You'll tell him you found it when you actually stole it?"

Dave nodded.

"Why did you steal it in the first place?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I just wanted something of Kurt's, I guess. Something to make me feel less awful about being rejected. It hasn't helped, though. It's only made me angrier, and I've got to do something now. I'm tired of sitting around, waiting for him to get over Anderson and figure out that I'm the right guy for him!"

"I thought we were in the process of trying to get proof that their relationship is fake, remember? That's why I had you break into his locker and mess with his phone. That's why we've been following them around. That's why we're even speaking to each other." Why exactly do I subject myself to this kind of torture? I could pull this off alone.

"First, I already addressed that. Your plan isn't working. Second, who needs to prove their relationship is fake when we could just follow my plan? Kurt will hear me pour my heart out to him and realize he's been wrong about me the entire time. Blaine will be 'heartbroken' that his 'boyfriend' broke up with him and was in love with me the whole time, and he'll fall back into your arms the first chance he gets. I'll be happy. You'll be happy. It's a win-win for everyone!"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at Dave. "And what if Kurt doesn't believe you?"

"What?"

"What if he still believes you are exactly who you are, a guy who has chased him down for months, gotten into his personal space, and messed with him constantly as a way to flirt with him when you couldn't admit to yourself who you were? What if he realizes you're just a hamhock bear cub, and he has no interest in being with you?"

Dave looked more determined than Sebastian had ever seen him. "He won't. He'll know the truth."

Sebastian considered his choices for a moment. Obviously, telling Hamhock the truth is getting us nowhere. So, let's let him play. He can do his thing, I'll do my thing, and eventually, as long as we can prove that Ladyface is faking to get into perfect-ass Anderson's pants, everyone will get what they want. "Why don't we just do both?" he said finally. "We keep our eyes open for proof that they're making this whole dating thing up, and if we can't prove it by Prom night enough to give a big presentation, we'll go with your thing."

"Fine," Dave said. "Have it your way."

"Great. That's settled then," Sebastian said, standing up abruptly. He'd had quite enough of people for the morning, thank you very much, and he could clearly see that Gay Mary Poppins and Tall Blonde were still chatting away at the table. He wasn't sticking around for anything more. "By the way," he called as he walked away from the table, "you're taking me as a date to your Prom. It's the only way I can get in, and I have to be there. Wear blue. And congratulations. You're no longer going stag." Then, he sauntered out, unhappy that he'd wasted so much time for exactly nothing to change.

—*—

Breakfast with Alex got over just before 10:00, and Kurt pulled out his phone to text Blaine as soon as he got to his car.

Kurt: You busy? Can I come over?

Blaine: Uh, sure. Just so you know, I'm not feeling very well, though.

Kurt: Are you throwing up or sneezing everywhere?

Blaine: Uh… No?

Kurt.: Then I'm definitely coming over. I can't have my best friend and Prom date suffering alone. I'll be there soon.

—*—

Blaine smiled when he read that message. Kurt was an amazing friend, and the fact that he wasn't worried about getting sick just further proved it.

When Kurt arrived, Blaine greeted him at the door, happy to be immediately pulled into a very tight hug by his best friend.

"How long have you not been feeling well?" Kurt asked when he stepped back, eyeing him up and down suspiciously.

Blaine wasn't sure how truthful to be. He wasn't really sick. His anxiety was heightened, though, wondering if Kurt's breakfast date with Alex was about to change anything between them. Kurt hadn't said they needed to talk, yet that didn't quell the fear rising in his stomach. Finally, he decided to go with the truth. "Since yesterday afternoon."

"Well, why aren't you in bed then?" Kurt asked, shooing him toward the stairs. "You can't be sick for Prom; you've got to get better. Go on up. I'll ask your mom to make you some broth, and then I'll come up and sit with you while you eat. Maybe we can watch a movie or something until you fall asleep."

"Kurt, you really don't have to do that."

"I'm happy to. Now, just go."

Blaine started toward the stairs but stopped before he reached them, turning back around. Am I going to be scared to tell Kurt everything I'm feeling? I can't do that. He needs to know the truth. "Kurt, wait."

"Yes?" Kurt turned around to look at him expectantly.

"I'm not really sick."

Kurt arched an eyebrow at him. "Really?"

"Really. I'm just… I'm really scared."

Oh, crap. Does he not want to go to Prom with me anymore? Is he thinking about that Sadie Hawkins dance? What's bothering him? And does this mean I'm going to miss my opportunity to tell him how I really feel again? "What are you afraid of?"

"Can we… Can we go up to my room to talk about it?"

"Sure." Kurt followed him up to his room, sitting on the edge of the bed as Blaine made himself comfortable against his pillows. "So, what are you afraid of?" he asked again, taking Blaine's hand in his in comfort.

Blaine's breath hitched before he said, "That you're going to start dating Alex again now."

Kurt blinked at Blaine. That was not at all what I was expecting to come out of his mouth. We talked about this. "Uh, no… I'm not. Why-why would you think that?"

"I mean, if you did, that would be okay. I know you really liked him, and it was hard for you when the two of you broke up, even though you understood. It's just…" Blaine opened his mouth to tell him the truth, just like his brain was screaming at him to do. Something about the look on Kurt's face made him backpedal, though, afraid that he would have a horrible afternoon if he brought it up. "It's just that I was looking forward to all those dances that you promised me at Prom, and I really like the suit you've been working on, and I'd hate to lose the opportunity to go to Prom with my best friend like we've been planning this whole time. If you are going out with him again, though, I get it. You'll want to take your real boyfriend to Prom."

All Kurt could do was throw his head back and laugh loudly, eliciting a groan from Blaine as he put his head in his hands, embarrassed. "Hey. Blaine, look at me," Kurt said after a moment when he could get himself back under control. "I'm sorry I laughed. It's just that you get so cute when you're nervous, and I couldn't help myself. I'm not getting back together with Alex. Neither of us want a long-distance relationship, and with him at college, there is no other choice right now. Don't worry. You're safe. We still get to go to Prom together." He gave him a smile. "He actually wanted to meet with me to ask us a favor." Kurt gestured between them.

"Oh?"

"Apparently, his cousin is coming to live with his sister while his parents are out of the country for a while, and Alex wants us to keep an eye on him, be his friends. He's apparently had some problems at school before, and Alex thought he would adjust better if he had someone to talk to on the first day."

"Oh…" Blaine felt a little silly now and, magically, a lot less sick to his stomach than he had before. "So, that was all he wanted?"

"That was all. We just made small talk the rest of the time, catching up as I told you we were going to," Kurt replied, conveniently leaving out the part about Alex not being surprised that they were together. He didn't need to get into that right now. "Let me guess," he said after a few beats of silence, "you're not feeling so sick anymore?"

Blaine nodded sheepishly. "If I tell you that I am, can we still watch that movie you promised me?"

"Only if we can make some lunch to eat during it. I'm starving. I had a muffin at The Lima Bean, but I am starved again."

"Sure," Blaine replied, climbing out of bed. "How would you feel about watching Star Wars?"

Kurt just rolled his eyes, following his best friend down the stairs. I wonder when I'll get the chance to tell him how I really feel, he mused.

—*—

As it turned out, Sunday wasn't that day. They watched several movies together, and the atmosphere was so fun and laid back that Kurt decided not to ruin it by admitting to something that Blaine might not agree with. So, he decided, We're at least friends. That's better than being nothing because he doesn't reciprocate my feelings. I can be happy with that for now.

So, on Monday morning, Kurt dressed to impress in some tight black-and-white-striped pants, some calf-high black boots, a black t-shirt, and a fitted gray suit jacket that really pulled the whole look together. He admired himself in the mirror as he coifed his hair, happy with the way everything looked. I'm ready to meet Alex's cousin and impress him. I'm sure we'll be amazing friends. And maybe I'll impress Blaine, too. The thought made his heart jump in his chest, even though he still wasn't convinced that Blaine liked him as anything more than a best friend.

When Kurt met him in the parking lot, Blaine thought for sure he was going to die. Kurt looked sinfully delicious in his tight pants and fitted top, and it made Blaine wish that he was braver, that he'd told Kurt how he felt and they were dating for real. I would love to pull him into my car and do sinful things with my mouth to that body, he thought as he tried to get himself to stop staring and will his body not to get too excited. Don't need to try to explain that on a Monday morning.

After a bit of small talk, the two of them made their way to the front doors of the school. They were meeting Alex's cousin by the flagpole, and they didn't have to wait long for him to show up.

A tall boy with wide-set shoulders and a broad chest, dressed in a dark gray sweatshirt and baggy jeans walked up a few minutes before the bell was supposed to ring, a basketball tucked under his arm, a black backpack slung over one shoulder.

He had what Kurt wanted to call a Justin Bieber haircut, even though his shaggy bangs hung to the wrong side. Still, he gave the boy a smile. "Hi," Kurt said, sticking out his hand. "I'm Kurt. You must be Landon."

"Yeah."

"I'm Blaine," Blaine told him, giving him one of his award-winning smiles that made Kurt's heart flip every time he saw it, especially when it was directed at him.

Lights up my whole world, he thought. "I'm Alex's ex-boyfriend. I'm sure he told you about me."

Landon nodded. "Mentioned you."

"Good. Well, Blaine's my boyfriend, and we'd like to show you around McKinley, be your friends. We thought maybe you'd like to join some of our school clubs that support LGBT youth at our school. Would that interest you?"

Landon merely shrugged. "Maybe."

"Okay. Well, uh…" Blaine said, glancing at Kurt for direction. "What's your first class?"

"Algebra."

"We can show you to your room then," Kurt said, taking Blaine's arm when it was offered to him. The two of them tried to keep a slow pace so that Landon didn't have to follow them. He kept meandering, though, bouncing his ball and getting distracted by awards and pictures in the trophy cases. They tried including him in their conversation, going over the latest Broadway blog gossip and discussing what part Landon might like to sing if he was interested in joining Glee. They even tried to get him to help them pick some good Prom songs since they were debating over several to sing as a whole group. Landon was anything but interested in what they had to say, however.

"Well, here we are. Algebra," Kurt said, gesturing toward the classroom when they arrived. "Would you like one of us to meet you out here after class and show you to your next one?"

Landon merely shrugged. "Sure. I guess if you want to. Thanks."

Kurt and Blaine exchanged glances before heading off to their own class. "See you next period," they both said to Landon before walking away.

"Well, that didn't go as expected," Kurt whispered as they went.

Blaine just squeezed his wrist. "Maybe we'll have better luck as the week goes on. He's probably just nervous."

"You're right. And talking about Glee reminded me... We've got to pick some perfect songs for our duet at Prom and get practicing. There's not much time."

"Yeah. Wanna meet later this week to go over some options?"

"Sure. I'll text you the deets," Kurt said, pausing at his classroom door. "See you before next period?"

Blaine nodded and smiled widely, just like Kurt had seen him do at Landon earlier in the morning. And he just couldn't help himself. He leaned in and pressed a light kiss to his lips, whispering, "I'll miss you," against them before Blaine turned to walk away, his cheeks coloring.

Oh, my god, what was that? Blaine thought to himself. Was there someone else around? Was that for show? He glanced around him; the hallway seemed to be empty. Was that for me? What does that mean? Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. Since he seemed to have trouble telling Kurt how he felt about him, maybe he could sing about it instead.

Meanwhile, Kurt was having his own crisis. Crap! Was that way too forward? That was way too forward. Blaine's going to be so confused. This is horrible! What have I done? I need to figure out a way to… Oh. Maybe singing and Glee is going to be the answer to telling Blaine exactly how I feel.

*—

The boys did not have better luck as the week went on. Landon didn't give them much more than one-word answers to anything they asked him, and he didn't seem at all interested in anything that they were discussing. In fact, he didn't seem like he was much like them at all, which made everything a little more difficult. They'd promised to keep an eye on him for Alex, yet he didn't do much but bounce his basketball and look around the school aimlessly, as if he wished he could be anywhere else.

On Thursday, as Dave was walking by the boys' locker room, he heard a loud crash. Immediately curious, he rushed in, finding a towel rack knocked over, towels all over the floor, and a dented locker. On a bench not far away from the mess sat a boy he didn't recognize, a basketball in his lap. His face was red, and he was breathing hard while trying to suppress obvious tears.

Having been in that exact position not long ago himself, Dave sat down next to the boy, careful not to sit too close and invade his personal space. "You okay?" he asked quietly.

"Do I look like I'm okay?" the boy spit.

"It's okay if you're not. We all have bad days. I've had plenty of them in here myself." He chuckled to lighten the mood.

"Yeah? Well, I doubt you know anything about this."

"Try me."

The boy looked at Dave curiously for a moment before getting a determined look on his face. "You want to know what I'm going through? You think you can relate?"

"I can try."

"I'm gay," the boy spat, the word coming out like venom. "I'm gay, and I'm stuck in this freaking school where everyone like me is made of sparkles and unicorn poop, especially those two my cousin tried to stick me with. My parents are gone on a trip to a country that would be way cooler than this, and I'm stuck here in Cowpie, Ohio, forced to be friends with my cousin's ex and his way too bright and exuberant boyfriend. I'm into basketball and football and wrestling, and they both think I want something to do with their Glee Club and their LGBTQ clubs. They think I should know who Liza Minelli is and give a hoot about what Barbara Streisand is doing. Well, I don't. I want nothing to do with those things! I just want to be left alone until I can get out of here and go back home where no one bothers me or tries to get me interested in things that I'm not interested in!"

Dave was pretty sure he knew who he was talking to now, and he could definitely relate. "First of all, my name's Dave," he said, wanting to get that out of the way. "I'm guessing you're Landon?"

The boy narrowed his eyes at him. "How did you know?"

"Well, you mentioned someone named Alex and gays who remind you of sparkles and unicorn poop. That could only be Kurt and Blaine, and I know Kurt dated a guy named Alex while he was at Dalton, so all that checks out. And I know from spying on Kurt that he's mentioned a Landon a few times, so that must be you."

"Guess you're a pretty good detective," Landon admitted.

"Second of all, I know exactly what you're going through," Dave told him.

"You do not. You're just making stuff up."

"No. I really do. Up until recently, I wasn't out myself, and I was the school bully because of it. In fact, I bullied Kurt so hard that he had to switch schools, and that's where he met Alex in the first place. Now, I'm out, though, and a lot of my old friends don't want anything to do with me. They think I'm being creepy in the locker rooms, and they assume that because I'm gay I'm automatically going to be into Broadway and all that stuff. I'm not. I still love football and basketball, just like I did before I came out." He shrugged. "I'm just kinda starting to figure out that it takes a while for people to realize that you maybe don't fit into every mold you're expected to fit into, no matter what you call yourself."

Landon nodded. "Yeah. I've gotten all those comments, too, about staring at guys' junk in the locker room or trying to hit on them when I ask for simple stuff, like handing me a towel. It hasn't happened here yet. I bet it will, though."

"It might," Dave said. "Really, the kids here aren't so bad. They're pretty accepting usually, and Kurt's pretty cool when you get to know him." He sighed dreamily, a little smile coming over his face.

"Oh, yeah? I don't think we like many of the same things."

"He is into the fairy princess stuff a lot, but he's nice and a good friend. He cares about people, and he's willing to help them out as much as they can. Even though I bullied him so much, he's been one of my best friends since I came out. He's never judged me or accused me of anything, and he's actually tried to help me through my problems, especially when I felt like they were too big for me to figure out how to deal with."

"Sounds like you have a crush."

Dave smiled sadly. "Yeah. A big one. For years now. You know what, though? I think I ruined that for myself, and I really regret it. If I could change things… I would. It doesn't really matter now, though. Kurt's dating Blaine, and even though Sebastian thinks it's fake, I'm pretty sure it's real. I see the way he looks at Blaine, the way he smiles when he's around and how his breath catches when they kiss. He doesn't look at me like that, think about me like that."

"Maybe you two are just meant to be friends. Did you think about that?"

"I'm starting to. It's hard to accept, though."

For the first time, Landon smiled. "Maybe we can help each other. You seem cool. We could shoot some hoops, not talk about Broadway, and keep our minds off of…other things."

"I'm game," Dave replied. "There's a nice outdoor court at the park we could go to." At Landon's nod, Dave followed him out of the locker room and into the hallway, a huge grin on his face. Thursday was turning out to be pretty great.