**I do not own Glee, Karofsky, or Kurt. I do own a Glee three-ringed binder, and a Kurt poster.

Coming to Grips

A Glee Story

CHAPTER 2: Crossing the Line

"Are you here to kill me?"

The question made Dave's jaw drop open. He realized his fingers were curled tightly around his steering wheel and he forcibly made himself relax his fingers.

"Whuh?"

Kurt looked him dead in the eye. "You said if I told anybody, you would kill me. I didn't, but you being the Prince William to my Kate Middleton has got to have you pissed. Well, I'm tired of running from you, Dave. The Bullywhip thing has backfired, apparently, so you must be here to kill me."

"No, uh, no, Kurt. I wouldn't…" This was all going wrong, Dave thought. How did I ended up here? Why am I here?

Dave opened the car door and unfolded his large frame from the driver's seat. His tuxedo no longer crisp and smooth as when the night began.

"You haven't been home," Kurt stated. His left arm curled about his waist, and he stroked his lips with the index finger of his right hand thoughtfully.

"Uh, no," Dave mumbling, forcing his eyes to ground. Stop thinking about his lips.

Kurt sighed. "David, you perplex me. You have spent a year torturing me, and yet I find myself pitying you. Come." Kurt reached out and took Dave's hand in his, and walked him up the driveway, and into the house. Dave followed, stunned and silent. He'd never held a boy's hand before. Kurt's hand was warm and smooth, but firm. There was a hint of callouses, but Dave could not imagine where Kurt would have gotten them.

It was dark in the Kurt's kitchen, but Kurt flipped on a small lamp, which created a warm yellow glow in the room.

"David, would you like some tea? I have Earl Grey, Orange Pekoe, Oolong, and Chai mint, as well as a variety of herbals. What's your poison?" Kurt stood at the stove with a silver teakettle, waiting expectantly.

"Uh…I don't know what any of those are," Dave admittedly, ears burning.

"Hmm," Kurt mused. "You look like an Earl Grey man to me."

Once the teakettle was filled and on the stove, Kurt sat across from Dave, crossing one leg over the other, and waited. Dave knuckled his fist into his face nervously. Kurt sighed. Dave watched the teakettle.

Finally Kurt spoke.

"David, can I be frank? It appears to me that you are holding onto a lot of emotional baggage. Let me be the first to clear the air, so to speak, just so we are clear. I don't hold anything against you. You threatened my life because you obviously felt threatened. But you have held up your end of the bargain. You are co-chairing PFLAG with me, the Bullywhips are successful, at least outwardly, and you have been crowned Prom King. If it makes you feel better, I can promise you that I will never reveal your secret. I can't say the same for Santana; but I don't see what it benefits her by outing you, so I think your secret is safe."

Kurt paused. He stretched out his hand to cover one of Dave's large ones, patting it gently. Dave froze. It was the second time Kurt has touched him tonight. He made himself breath normally.

"But I know from experience, having this particular secret is harder than most. Sometimes it's just easier to get it out there, you know, and deal with the consequences as they come."

Dave shifted uneasily in the kitchen chair, which seemed too small for him.

"You don't understand, Kurt. You have never fit in…"

"Thanks, David, that's sweet." Kurt raised and eyebrow and pursed his lips.

Dave grunted in frustration. "No, I mean, you know what I mean. I knew about you when I first saw you. Even when you dated Brittany, I knew it wasn't for real. I just knew." He watched Kurt's eyes for anger or hurt.

"Is that…insensitive? I'm not trying to be a jerk. I'm just saying I could tell. But for me, it isn't so easy. I'm a jock. I'm big. I'm tough. Nobody knows." Dave couldn't make himself say the words. "Nobody knows…about that."

The teakettle whistled loudly and Kurt lunged to the stove to remove it.

"Don't want to wake Dad and Carol. Dad hasn't quite forgiven you."

Kurt poured hot water into two teacups and dropped in teabags. The warm aroma of tea filled the small kitchen.

"I don't blame him. It was hard enough making my dad understand why my grades were bad, and why I was such a jerk."

"Did he finally understand, your dad?" He brought the two cups, steam rising into the air, to the table and placed on in front of Dave.

Dave enjoyed watching Kurt move. He was graceful and lithe. And he could kick amazing field goals. Not that Dave had ever told him that. Dave wondered what Kurt was do if he stood behind him and wrapped his arms around him. Would he scream? Probably.

"Not really," Dave answered. "I mean, he accepted what I said, something about trying to be cool and fitting in. It was kind of the truth, in a way," he admitted, "but not the whole truth."

Kurt took his seat, and brought the tea to his lips and blew softly. Dave ducked his head and smiled when Kurt stuck his pinky in the air. Taking a sip of the tea, Kurt murmured satisfactorily, and then said, "Telling some of the truth is half-way to the whole truth. You'll get there, Dave. How's your tea?"

Dave lifted his cup to his lips and took a sip. He placed the cup back on the table.

"Not my cup of tea," he said, with a grimace, then smiled at his own joke.

Kurt chuckled. "Oh, David, you are such a Neanderthal."

The slight smile that had played around Dave's lips fell away, and he dropped his head again.

Kurt gasped. "I hurt your feelings," he said. "I'm sorry. I only meant….I didn't mean…" Kurt looked uncomfortable. Dave noticed that his confident air faded, and he looked like the frightened, unsure boy he used to see in the hallways. Does he think that I would get mad, hurt him?

"That's alright, Fancy. You've hurt my feelings way worse before," Dave said lightly, keeping his eyes on the tabletop.

Kurt gasped again, horrified. "When did I ever?"

"You told me that I was chubby and that I'd lose my hair before I was 30."

Kurt's mouth dropped open. Dave laughed out loud at his expression. Kurt's lips trembled and formed a hesitant smile, and then he laughed along with Dave.

"Well," Kurt said, still laughing, "I was angry at the time. I can't be held responsible."

Dave's laughter dried up. He remembered too well what had happened after Kurt's angry outburst that day in the gym. Kurt stopped laughing and Dave could tell that Kurt remembered, too.

Kurt cleared his throat.

"Uh…David…can I ask…why?"

Dave knew what he was asking and his heart begun to thud painfully in his chest. This was the crux of it. This was the "why." Why he was so angry, so defiant. Why his grades had fallen. Why he was miserable. Not just because he was…like that. Dave's problem were because of this boy across from him.

Dave risked a glance at Kurt, and just as quickly dropped his eyes. He knew he should just leave. Nothing good could come of this. This was a line that couldn't be uncrossed.

"David, would you just talk to me, please." Kurt's hand covered his own again, and stayed there, gently caressing. The warmth and tenderness in his caress made Dave want to weep again.

Almost again his will, Dave took Kurt's hand in his. Suddenly the world was fuzzy and it seemed the edges of the universe were blurred. Maybe anything could be. Maybe the world wouldn't end if…

Carefully, gently, Dave brought Kurt's hand up to his lips. He pressed his lips against the tender skin on the back of Kurt's hand, gently stroking Kurt's slender fingers and delicate knuckles with his thumb. He dropped two more feather light kisses on the back of Kurt's hand, and then turned Kurt's hand to press his lips against the warm skin on the inside of his wrist. Dave placed Kurt's hand against his face, nuzzling into it, feeling the warm, gentle strength of Kurt's hand on his face, his cheek, the bridge of his nose. He turned his head to kiss the center of Kurt's palm, his fingers, all the way to the tips.

Dave held Kurt's hand tightly, afraid to let go. The line had been crossed. His heart felt about to burst, but he opened his eyes and looked into Kurt's face, deathly afraid of what he would see there.

Kurt's eyes were wide. "Oh, David."

The End, For Now

*Thank you for reading! I love the Karofsky and Kurt story line, and I have been fascinated by Dave Karofsky ever since he kissed Kurt. I hope you will like my take on the story.

**If you like my fanfiction, please check out my debut young adult novel, "Descending Olympus: The Stygian Chalice," (July, 2011) at Barnes and Noble online.

***Book Synopsis:

Zach Nikolas isn't a typical high school boy-no acne, no awkwardness for this high school god among boys. Gorgeous, charming, and athletic, every girl in school throws herself at him. Zach's parents, friends, and teachers worship the ground he walks on. He has never known want or sacrifice in his charmed life. He is on top of the world.

Things in Zach's perfect life begin to go horribly wrong. A murder attempt and a miraculous escape from certain death lead Zach to unheard-of powers, as an angry god seeks vengeance.

The one girl Zach can't have-the beautiful, intelligent Allie Connor, who hates his guts-is the key to everything.

When myths become reality, Zach must decide to sacrifice the girl he loves or let the world come to a fiery end.

Thanks, Velvia Wylie Keithley