Author's note: Thanks for all the reviews – I don't write angst very often because it's exhausting. Which is why the previous chapter was shorter (is actually meant to be paired with this one). Again this chapter leaves off exactly where the last one ended.

MARCH

When he wakes he can't figure out why Kurt is asleep on the floor, then it comes back and he inhales sharply as the pain comes flooding back. He'd cried himself to sleep last night, although that doesn't really explain why Kurt is still here. He tries to remember any snippets of conversation that he might have had last night and it all comes back as blank. Kurt is on an air mattress and he has no idea where it came from. He slides off his bed, moving as slowly and quietly as possible. He wants a shower, something that will maybe help warm him up.

"Where are you going?" Kurt asks, voice rough with sleep and he turns, feeling a little guilty that maybe he'd have worried Kurt if he'd woken up and found him gone.

"Just going for a shower. I feel like crap."

"Okay. I'll be here."

He kind of wants to tell Kurt he can go but at the same time it's nice knowing he has someone waiting for him, someone that cares enough. He smiles weakly, grabs his towel and other shower things before leaving his room. He can feel the need to cry and once he's under the running water he gives into it, the shower over his face making him feel less conscious about the tears. He doesn't take too long, doesn't want to worry Kurt and heads back to his room, towel wrapped around his waist feeling better but emotionally drained.

"Oh! Just… let me give you some privacy," Kurt says, flustered and stepping toward the door. He huffs and shakes his head, realizing that if nothing else Sebastian has been good for his self-esteem, he doesn't feel as self-conscious changing in front of Kurt as he would have a year ago. For some reason Kurt's wearing one of Dave's shirts and a pair of his sweat pants, which are huge on him.

"You don't have to leave on my account. Just turn around if it bothers you. Who got you the air mattress anyway?" He's talking to Kurt's back, drying himself and dressing quickly and hoping Kurt doesn't feel too uncomfortable, that the talking might distract him.

"Callum? I couldn't find your roommate."

"Peter's probably at his girlfriend's dorm. He'll be back tonight. He has all these stupid rules about how often he'll stay over at her place." He realizes in hindsight maybe that would have been a good idea, but it's a bit too late now.

"Okay, well Callum suggested I stay. And I phoned your dad."

"You… what? Really?"

"Yeah, he should be here before midday."

Dave snorts, pulling his shirt over his head and when his head pops through Kurt is looking at him over his shoulder, turning and moving toward him.

"Dave, do you have any idea how worried I was…" warm hands take his and then he's being hugged, shirt sticking to his still damp back as Kurt hugs him fiercely. He hugs him back, carefully, hesitantly. It's weird. "I… I love you okay. You are so important to me and I will kill Sebastian for doing this to you. I told him I would."

He sighs. As nice as it is to apparently have Kurt very firmly in his court he doesn't want to start a feud. He steps back letting his arms fall and then running a hand through his wet hair.

"Just… leave it. Okay? For me?" Kurt's nostrils flair, Dave can tell he's about to argue and then Kurt just nods. His eyes are hard though and he suspects that while Kurt might say he's not going to do something he might be acting on the belief that what Dave doesn't know doesn't hurt him. He can't care about it right now. "Anyway, I had to get my heart broken sooner or later."

"No. No. That's just… I don't know what he's thinking, but it just doesn't make sense."

He'd thought that himself yesterday, while on the train to see Sebastian, but of course now he knows better. That Sebastian has outgrown him. Them. It hurts, but he figures he'll get over it. He's stronger now and he definitely doesn't feel alone. They go out for breakfast on Kurt's insistence that he needs coffee, after first taking a shower. It's a little weird to see Kurt without product in his hair, wearing clothes that are the same as the day before and also smelling like Dave rather than himself, having borrowed Dave's deodorant.

It's clear that Kurt doesn't want to leave him, obviously worried he might do something and he wants to reassure him, but it seems to fall on deaf ears. He's not suicidal. Upset, and sad and everything else… but he knows his life isn't over. Just the part of his life with Sebastian in it. That thought has him crying again and Kurt just hugs him.

FAF

Dave's father arrives at eleven and he feels like a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders. He gets a bone crushing hug once Paul is finished hugging Dave and it's unexpected but still nice. He excuses himself to use the bathroom, wanting to give them some time alone and finding that the only at-hand excuse. He sees Callum and accepts that offer of coffee. He explains that Dave's father has arrived and they talk about inconsequential things for about twenty minutes before he decides he's likely given them enough time.

He knocks on the door before pushing it slowly open. Dave and his dad are sitting side-by-side on Dave's bed, Paul's arm around Dave's shoulders and he doesn't know what they're talking about but Dave is shaking his head.

"I'm not going to give him the fucking satisfaction…" Dave spits, and Kurt bites his lip, glad to hear that he's angry but also knowing that that anger can swing back to despair at any moment. He's still dealing with breaking up with Blaine and he knows that compared to this him and Blaine were amicable. Dave looks up at him. "Dad just suggested I quit school."

"What? No! I mean…" he takes in a deep breath. "Whatever you need…"

Dave snorts and Paul looks grim faced.

"I can't run away from every single thing that makes me sad."

"We'll talk about it. I just want you to be happy and… okay."

"I need to get on with my life. Sebastian was just a guy…"

Kurt pulls a face, because he can hear the lie, and Dave is crying again and he just wants to make it better but has no idea how. He takes advantage of Paul being there, makes a quick a trip back to the apartment to get some clean clothes and toiletries, packing enough for three days and figuring he can just leave it all at Dave's; he suspects he's going to be spending a lot of time there in the near future.

The apartment feels empty when he gets there and he wonders briefly how Sebastian is. Sure he's worried more about Dave right now but something still isn't sitting right in his gut about how all this came about. He's certain he would have seen signs of it coming, as an outside observer of their relationship. Maybe that's why he didn't.

He feels like he doesn't know either Dave or Sebastian anymore.

FAF

The hotel room is impersonal and because of that it's perfect. He doesn't want to have too many reminders of Dave around, although he knows he's going to have to face them all eventually. And Kurt. He's not looking forward to any of it but facing Kurt is something he's really not looking forward to and he feels miserable. He hasn't felt this bad since after Dave's suicide attempt and fuck he hopes Dave is okay. He hasn't messaged Kurt again, although he's started to several times and then deleted them all before sending. He's not stupid and he knows Kurt will question any sign of him caring. So he phones the next person he can think of and he waits for her to pick up.

"Hello Seb sweetheart…"

"Hi mom…" god it's good to hear her voice. He takes in a deep shuddering breath, not sure why the sound of her voice is bringing him close to tears. "Mom… I fucked up."

"Oh Sebastian, what's happened?"

"I… I broke up with Dave."

There's silence at the other end of the line and he clenches his eyes closed, feeling even worse and this isn't why he called his mom.

"Oh. I didn't expect that…" He isn't going to ask what she did expect, because he doesn't care. "Can I ask why?"

"I…" the reasons why sound logical in his own head, but he suspects his mother won't agree with him. "He's in love with Kurt. And Kurt's in love with him. I was just… stepping out of the way."

His mother doesn't say anything, makes a non-committal humming sound which he's never liked the sound of and he scrubs at his face, skin itchy with dried tears (and probably drool and snot but he's determinedly not thinking about that). "I know I made the right decision it just doesn't feel very good right now."

"Well of course not. I can't imagine you were very tactful, it's never been one of your strengths."

"Thanks mom…"

"Sebastian…" she sighs. "I love you. I know you feel like you've done something right and honorable but I just fear that you haven't contemplated all the consequences or considered all the available options to you… and to Dave." He's pretty sure he has, and he knew it was going to suck, he just didn't expect it to suck quite this much. "I think you probably could have talked to him rather than just… cutting it off. He was your best friend as well darling. Do you need me to come and visit?"

"No, I'll be fine."

He loves the fact that his mom ignores him and is knocking on his hotel room door in less than 12 hours.

FAF

He agrees to see a therapist. Again. It's one of the conditions of staying in school and he guesses it's a small concession to make if it makes his dad feel better. Also he suspects he's going to have a lot more free time now that he's single. He feels… bereft. Although flashes of anger appear suddenly and without warning. He knows he's going through a grieving process but he has to resist the urge to text Seb multiple times a day. It had gotten so bad he'd just deleted the contact in his phone, removing the temptation. Doing that had made him cry again.

His therapist is nice enough, one of the counselors that the university has, so it's convenient to fit in around his classes. He tells him about everything, needing to give the guy enough of a back story to understand why everyone was worried. After his first session he'd had his shoulder clasped and told he seemed to have his head screwed on straight. Today though he's frustrated, angry that he just can't move on. He wants to not think about it all the fucking time.

"Dave, you need to be a little easier on yourself. You've not only lost your boyfriend, and that relationship with him, but you've lost your best friend."

"I have Kurt."

"From what I understand from what you've told me Kurt brings different things to your friendship. That's fine. It doesn't make it better or worse. It's normal. Healthy. Did Sebastian say anything about remaining friends?"

"No," Dave says sharply, shaking his head. "I couldn't do that anyway I don't think... See him with… another guy." He almost says Kurt's name. He wonders how that's going to feel when they eventually get together. Wonders if he'll lose Kurt as well. God, he doesn't think he could stand that, to not have anyone anymore.

FAF

The apartment feels empty. Not just like Sebastian isn't home, but like he hasn't been home in a while and he feels a little trickle of ice go through his veins. It's been a week of radio silence, he's spent four nights in Dave's dorm room, which hadn't been pleasant with Peter in the room as well. He'd stayed at Adam's for a couple of nights, not wanting to face Sebastian yet either, not knowing what he was going to say to him. Right now he's worried, his anger decreasing to a simmer as he considers that maybe there are other things going on with Sebastian which he doesn't know about. He pulls out his phone and looks at the last message he received from Sebastian.

'Can you please go and see Dave and stay with him. Make sure he's okay. Please.'

He sighs and shuts the door with his foot, calling out Sebastian's name just on the off chance his intuition is wrong and Sebastian is in his bed. There's no answer so he walks up to his bedroom, pushing the door open, suddenly worried that he might find a dead body. Instead there's nothing changed from when he was here earlier in the week. Weird.

'Are you okay?' he sends, wondering if he should say that Dave is fine, or at least appears fine and then decides against it. Sebastian can ask if he cares.

'Just taking some time out.'

That's not really an answer and Kurt rubs his face, wondering what the hell has happened to his life in the last week.

FAF

His mom's visit had been nice. They'd gone out, eaten, talked and she'd given him advice. Not that he really plans on trying to get Dave back, but he'd listened to his mom going on about how he wasn't the type to give away his heart lightly, and that that was why it was hurting so much. He's learning to function with the pain. He'll get through this. He knows he will. He just needs to remind himself of what life was like before Dave. Except he remembers just how much better it was with him.

He refuses to let his school work suffer, making himself study, and at least while he's studying his mind isn't wondering about Dave. He didn't think he'd miss him this much, but he does. He's not sleeping. His mind seems unable to switch off. He's taken to working out every day, trying to tire out his body physically. It hasn't really worked yet but he's pretty sure it's taken care of his sex drive, because he hasn't even wanted to jerk off, let alone consider anything else. He wonders how Dave is and knows he's going to have to give in and either text Kurt and ask or somehow find out himself. He's glad he's not at the apartment. Knows he wouldn't be able to stop from asking Kurt how Dave is.

The next day he decides to find out for himself. He knows Dave's timetable of course, and despite the warmer weather he wraps his scarf around his head and skulks around, just wanting to see him. He waits, sitting on a bench, empty coffee cup in his hand and watches students going in and out of the lecture hall, not really noticing when someone sits down at the other end of the bench.

"Sebastian."

"Kurt," he swallows, suddenly nervous, no idea how Kurt recognized him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Just… checking on him. Is he okay?"

Kurt's eyes narrow and he'd make a quip about his bitch face but he realizes he's just as relieved to see Kurt as he is about the potential of seeing Dave.

"Yeah, no thanks to you."

"He'll get over me."

"You're an idiot. I mean… I thought you were an idiot and an asshole a year ago, but then you lulled me into this false sense of security that you aren't actually as much of an idiot and asshole as I though and then… you go and do this. I don't know whether to slap you or feel sorry for you." He looks away, because he suspects that while Kurt slapping him might feel like something he deserves it's not actually something that Kurt will follow through on. "Dave is seeing a therapist again. He's deleted your number from his phone. He's trying to move on…" There's a sudden influx of students exiting the building and Kurt stands, waves his arm and he sees Dave wave back. "If you're serious about this whole stupid break up then you need to let him."

He watches as Kurt walks briskly away, going and giving Dave a hug and he swallows, teeth clenched at the spike of envy.

Dave'll be fine. So will he.

Eventually.