A Funny Thing Happened
Chapter 8
By Gayforkurt
Summary: Puck has suddenly noticed that Kurt Hummel did some serious growing up over the summer. Unfortunately, he isn't the only jock to have noticed the sexy young singer.
AN: Okay, I confess, this one is a bit sentimental and a teeny bit angsty. In the TV show, I've never thought of Kurt as a victim, despite his woes; unfortunately, Dave, because of his weakness, made himself a victim and lost out on a good thing. What do you all think?
Disclaimer: All recognizable Glee characters are the property of Ian Brennan, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. No copyright infringement is intended.
A funny thing happened… at the Karofskys'
Dave Karofsky has never been so nervous in his life. Why? Kurt Hummel was stopping by his house in less than fifteen minutes and the jock's heart rate had escalated to a point just short of him hyperventilating.
Ten minutes ago, as he was finishing up an assignment and contemplating what snack he'd get before sorting himself out for bed, his cellphone had started vibrating and spinning slowly on his desk. He had grabbed it up, glanced at the name on the screen and proceeded to almost choke before he answered it.
"Kurt, what-why, ugh, what's up?" He winced as his voice had come out sounding a little a higher-pitched than normal. He couldn't imagine why the other boy would be calling at – he glanced quickly at the clock on his desk – nearly 10 at night? What the heck?
Kurt stifled a little laugh at how nervous the big jock sounded. "Hey, Hamhock, I was just leaving a friend's house and something came up that I wanted to talk to you about. Can I come around for a few minutes?"
There was silence for about half a minute while he listened to Dave breathe on the other end of the line. "Dave, you there?" Kurt was beginning to feel a little awkward; maybe this hadn't been such a good idea, after all.
As he was leaving Sam's house and thinking about Noah manipulating him into this stupid bet, he'd realized that maybe he should get their wager out of the way before he and Noah took the next step in their relationship. Certainly he didn't want this hanging over their heads as he gave up his virginity the next night!
"Yeah!" Dave almost shouted as he realized he'd been silent for a little while. He blushed unseen as he continued. "Uh, yes, that'd be cool; do you know the address?"
The two boys sorted that out and Kurt, realizing he wasn't too far away, assured Dave that he'd be by in about half an hour and that he'd be bringing dessert. For a weird, mind-tumbling moment, Dave almost blurted that Kurt would be enough dessert for him but, thank goodness, his mouth had refused to work beyond a "uh-huh?"
Now he paced back and forth outside his front door, waiting for a glimpse of Kurt's headlights. Ten minutes later, the distinctive lights of Kurt's Navigator could be seen at the end of Dave's street.
Kurt pulled up at the curb and smiled as he saw the anxious-looking jock waiting for him at the end of his driveway. As he opened his door, Dave paced over to him, a nervous smile pasted on his face.
"Hi."
Kurt laughed softly. "Hi, Dave, been waiting out here long?"
Dave blushed in the semi-dark and reached for the white paper sack Kurt handed to him. "Uh, not really. I just wanted to be sure you didn't miss the house."
Kurt glanced around at the mailbox with Dave's house number prominently displayed on the side and easily seen in the glow from a nearby streetlight. "Uhm, I don't think I'd have missed that, but it was nice of you to wait for me."
It tickled his funny bone to see his former bully so nervous in his presence. He hoped one day that things would be easier between them but thought that, after his question tonight, things would probably get a little more awkward before they got better.
The two boys walked up the driveway and Dave waved Kurt ahead of him into the house before shutting the door softly. The jock took the opportunity to take an appreciative look at Kurt's attire. The young diva was dressed down in khaki-colored cargo shorts, what seemed like a white tank or tee shirt under his grey hoodie and on his feet were simple but obviously expensive sneakers.
As they entered the house, Dave cautioned: "The old folks are upstairs in bed so we've got to be quiet, okay?" He made sure to lock the front door behind him even while admiring the fit of Kurt's shorts over his very nice behind. He almost felt guilty at ogling the boy but, hey, he was a horny teenager!
Kurt looked around at the elegant vestibule they were standing in then whispered: "Okay; can we go into the kitchen?" He figured that a less intimate setting would be better than sitting together in the living room. Dave nodded and led the way.
The Karofskys' house had seemed a little bit larger than his from the outside and now they were in the kitchen, Kurt could appreciate the massive room that sported some of the most high-end appliances Kurt had ever seen. It was relieved from showroom perfection by the homey touches of a huge number of refrigerator magnets, sunflower-splashed curtains in the breakfast nook and – what caught Kurt's eyes the most – beautifully rendered prints of fruits on the tiles of the backsplashes for both the sinks and the stove.
"This is a beautiful room, Dave! Do your parents do a lot of cooking?" His blue-green eyes sparkled in the lighting from the recessed fixtures as he took the paper sack from Dave, moving over to a counter to sort out their desserts.
Dave leaned against the counter on the other side as he gazed at Kurt's face, taking in the color that the cool air outside had brought out. "My mom and I like to cook; she spent a year in France before I was born studying cordon bleu – she likes to pass on the stuff she learned."
He flushed again as Kurt turned wide, impressed eyes on him. "Wow, you have hidden depths, Hamhock." He chuckled at the pleased expression that Dave was struggling to suppress. "I like to fool around in the kitchen myself."
He paused as he took the sundaes from the paper bag. "Which of these do you want? I forgot to ask your preferences then thought I'd just surprise you." One eyebrow rose enquiringly as he waited for Dave's answer.
"Anything is good for me. I'm a bit of an ice-cream addict. I like almost everything." His breath caught as he realized how suggestive his words could seem and when he caught Kurt's sly, sideways glance from beneath long lashes, he just knew Kurt had picked up on it.
He cleared his throat and reached for one of the creamy delights, his hand brushing Kurt's as he did so. He couldn't tell if the continuing blush on Kurt's cheeks was from the air outside or what he'd just said but he was just going to shut up and eat the damn ice cream already!
Kurt smiled as they moved over to the breakfast nook, both of them delving eagerly into the decadent treats. Kurt didn't often indulge in sugary confections as he was determined to never be that little butterball he'd been a couple of years before. He did like sweet things though, but he liked fitting into gorgeous designer outfits even better.
Dave noticed that Kurt was eating more slowly than he was and asked him if he didn't like his choice. Kurt shook his head as he swallowed then smiled as he answered Dave. "No, it's great but I don't do this often. Got to watch the figure, you know?"
Kurt couldn't think what he'd just said that would cause the light to go out of David's face so suddenly but the jock must have seen the question in Kurt's face and smiled sadly. "Yeah, I guess I shouldn't be eating fattening stuff either." He pushed the treat away from him and it took Kurt only a split second before he recalled the probable reason behind Dave's reaction.
He was horrified that something he'd said ages ago could still have the power to hurt someone else. He shook his head, a lock of hair dislodging itself and flopping onto his forehead with the violence of the motion.
"Oh, David, no! I'm sorry, I didn't mean any of that stuff I said back in the locker room! I was angry and scared because of _" He broke off as the look of misery on the other boy's face only deepened. "Look, you didn't mean what you said about killing me, did you?"
Dave lifted anguished eyes to Kurt's and he reached out to grab Kurt's hand. "Oh, god, Kurt, you know I never meant any of that crap." He realized what he was doing and moved to let go but Kurt just turned his hand and grabbed his fingers, halting his withdrawal.
"Please, David, if we're going to get anywhere, we have to forget all of that drama, okay? I promise I've forgiven you and you have to promise you've forgiven me." He waited for the distraught boy to respond. "Well, do you forgive me for saying that stuff and_ and_ pushing you? Finn says I'm pushy and I don't realize I'm doing it but I guess I'm more of a diva than I realize and_ hey, what-why are you grinning? Oh, I'm babbling_ shit…"
Kurt blushed again and let go of Dave's hand to drop his face into his palms. "Kill me now, I'm so embarrassed!"
Dave laughed, a soft low sound that warmed Kurt to hear it, and he reached up to tug at one of Kurt's wrists so he could see his face. Yes, the blush was all the way up to his hairline and down his throat and Dave thought he was perfect. Kurt's eyes sparkled as he shared a laugh with Dave, thankful that that incredibly awkward, angsty moment seemed to have passed.
The two boys returned to their ice creams and ate in companionable silence before Dave remembered. "Uhm, Kurt, you said earlier that you wanted to ask me something. What's up?"
Kurt, who had lifted his spoon and begun licking it off, froze as his mind rewound to the words of their phone conversation. "Oh yes, uhm, there was something I had wanted to clear up."
He put the spoon into the empty container and then moved it aside. He folded his arms on the tabletop and leaned forward. He lowered his voice and his eyes as he asked Dave. "Do you like me, like me?"
He glanced at Dave and winced at the momentarily puzzled look on his face. He then ducked his head when Dave's face cleared in comprehension. He waited for the jock to respond to his admittedly juvenile-sounding question and when he didn't hear anything, he looked up once more.
Dave had been waiting for Kurt to look back up and when he did, he was waiting. The tables in breakfast nooks are generally smaller than the average dining room table; nooks are small areas. Dave was over six feet tall and Kurt was a respectable five feet eleven inches tall by now. This meant that, with both boys seated almost side by side at the small round table, it was not difficult for Dave to lean over and place the softest of kisses on Kurt's cool, sweet lips.
Kurt jerked slightly at the feel of David's lips on his but, just as earlier with Sam, his curiosity got the better of him. Dave's lips were smooth, the pressure was gentle and Kurt felt no hint of aggression in the bigger boy. However, after several seconds passed, he pulled back to look into Dave's gorgeous green-gold eyes, and smiled. He licked his lips and leaned in, this time taking control of the kiss.
He felt Dave's surprise at his initiating this kiss but he didn't stop. He then flicked his tongue out to taste Dave's top lip and as the larger boy gasped, he nipped his lower lip before pulling back. When he looked into Dave's eyes again, he could see that his pupils had dilated from arousal. He felt a little spark of satisfaction at having put that look in someone else's eyes besides Noah. He wasn't intending to lead Dave on; he just wanted to satisfy his curiosity.
Dave breathed deeply to get himself back in control before finally answering Kurt. When he did, he noticed the other boy was looking down at their hands that were once again joined. He hadn't realized that had happened, so caught up was he in the delicious kiss.
"I think you know exactly how I feel, Kurt. Do you plan on teasing me to death?" He watched as Kurt's eyes flew up to his, the other boy stumbling over his words to reassure him.
"David, I would never do a thing like that! Hey, you kissed me first, though. You know I have a boyfriend but you still kissed me." Now Kurt was beginning to feel a little defensive and he got to his feet, snatching up his satchel and shouldering it.
Dave leapt to his feet as well, intent on not letting things end on a sour note after their sweet dessert… and kiss. "Wait, Kurt, I only meant that I do know you have a boyfriend but I just couldn't figure out what you're after. Why would you even care to know how much I like you… as if you didn't know already."
Kurt shrugged as he stared at his feet, wishing he'd never thought of coming here and making things even more awkward between them. He took a deep breath, summoning his courage to look up at the boy looming over him. He knew Dave was more puzzled than angered by his behavior and he needed to come clean.
"Well, it's like this. Uhm, my boyfriend seems to think that you like me on a deeper level than I'd thought and I just wanted to prove him wrong." He gazed apologetically up at Dave. "I don't want you to think I'm leading you on, Dave, that's the last thing I'd do. I don't think I'm that mean."
Kurt's almost apology and explanation did much to appease Dave and a sudden thought occurred to him. As far as he knew, Kurt had never dated. The slender fashionista was always surrounded by his glee club friends, especially the two girls he'd seen him with at the café the other day. Kurt had never been seen strolling hand in hand with anyone, guy or girl, in all the years Dave had seen him around school.
"Is this guy your first boyfriend?" He looked at Kurt who was smiling happily as he nodded. "Someone from school?" Again Kurt nodded, though Dave waited in vain for him to say who it was. "Okay, then, is it serious, like going-steady serious?"
Bingo! Kurt's face erupted in color again and Dave's heart clenched, knowing the look on the young singer's face would never be for him. He took a deep breath and tried to smile, happy at least that the boy he had a crush on was with someone who made him light up like this.
A little giggle slipped from Kurt and David realized just then how innocent Kurt really was. He hoped in his heart that, whoever this boyfriend was, he really appreciated the beautiful singer for the gift that he was. He moved forward and wrapped the boy in a bear hug.
Kurt, hesitating at first, wrapped his long arms around Dave and, after a few seconds, eased himself back to look up at the larger boy. What he saw in Dave's eyes made his tender heart ache, for he knew Dave liked him more than he was willing to say out loud but there was nothing he, Kurt, could do about it. He was in love with Noah.
"Hey, it's gonna be okay, you know. Trust me." He smiled up at Dave, trying to comfort the other boy because, just as he'd noted earlier with Sam, he knew what unrequited crushes were like. When Dave only hugged him again, he gave in for a little bit then reminded him it was late.
"I have to go before my dad sends out search and rescue parties for me." He eased away from Dave's big body and the two boys headed towards the front door. Just as they reached it, in a moment of déjà vu, Kurt looked up at Dave just as the other boy leaned down to kiss him goodnight.
Kurt couldn't help but wonder, for the umpteenth time, what the hell had changed in his life that now, not one but three boys wanted to be with him. He returned Dave's gentle kiss but put a hand against the jock's chest to stop him from pressing up against him. "Please, David, don't."
Dave's lips moved to Kurt's ear and he whispered, soft and low, "You don't know what you do to me, Kurt Hummel." His arms tightened around the slender body and he buried his nose in Kurt's sweet-smelling hair. "I love you and I'm not ashamed to let you know."
Kurt jerked in his arms, one had still pressed ineffectually against the muscles of Dave's chest. He'd never thought Dave would say that; he thought the other boy was just hot for him, like Sam was.
Dave continued to murmur: "I'm so sorry I messed up. I know now I could have had a chance with you if I hadn't been such a dumb jock. I'm a coward, Kurt, and even now that I know I love you, I know that I couldn't face my teammates at school – not yet."
Kurt's eyes watered and he sniffled, finally sliding his arms back around the hurting jock. They stood there at the front door for a minute or two more and then Dave released him. He took a step back and gazed down into Kurt's beautiful, moist eyes. As he watched, a tear spilled over and he ached to wipe it away but he stepped back farther, putting a little more distance between himself and temptation.
Without saying anything, Kurt just nodded, moved his hand behind him to open the door and stepped through it. There was nothing else either boy could say at the moment and as Kurt headed towards his car and climbed in, he knew Dave was still watching from the door.
Silent tears coursed down his cheeks as he pulled away from the curb; he lifted a hand and waved briefly at the still figure. He smiled softly as he saw the hand that was raised in return and he drove home, thoughts of Dave and his confession tumbling through his unsettled mind.
Kurt mopped his cheeks and thought guiltily of Noah as he drove home. He knew without a doubt that he was in love with the tanned, mischievous jock, but, for a moment, when Dave was holding him and pouring out his heart to him, he had felt a tug. There had been, for at least a nanosecond, a tiny, wayward wish that he could have returned Dave's feelings.
Kurt could almost kick himself; he hated that damn momentary lapse. He always hated uncertainty and to find it in himself, when he was on the cusp of the greatest adventure of his young life (okay, you're going a bit over the top here, Hummel, he chided himself) with Noah tomorrow night, his emotions were wavering. Sweet Fendi, no; he was determined to give it up to his hunky, unrelentingly sexy boyfriend on Friday night, and nothing was going to get in his way!
As he stepped inside the darkened house and pocketed his keys, he let out an undignified squeak as a shadowy figure moved toward him. He grabbed his chest dramatically as his father moved toward him, then let out a sigh.
"Dad, why are you waiting up for me? It's not that late, is it?" His dad had clicked on a lamp on the hallway table and was staring back at him, displeasure in every line of his face.
"Kurt, it's a school night and it's nearly 12 o'clock!" Burt Hummel knew his son was pretty much an adult but he was still in school, still his boy and he got worried when Kurt stayed out without letting him know what was going on.
"Oh, Dad, I'm sorry. I guess I lost track of time," he said, sighing as he moved to hug his dad. He didn't think he'd ever be too old to hug his father; he was the only parent he had and he wasn't too proud to take comfort from his papa.
"Well, okay, but you gotta call me, kiddo, you know I get worried sometimes." He felt Kurt pulling back to look up at him but he tightened his hold. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're all grown, but I'll never stop worrying, you gotta know that."
Kurt smiled to himself with his head still on his dad's shoulder. He sighed though, as he decided to talk to his dad for a little about what had happened tonight. "Can I talk to you, dad, for a little while?"
Burt knew better than to reject his son's desire to talk, even in the face of his own desire to go to bed. It would not be too long before other people started coming before him in importance in his son's life. He didn't have to watch Dr. Phil to figure that out! He led Kurt into the kitchen and decided to heat up some milk to take upstairs with him.
"So, what's on your mind, kiddo? Hey, want some of this milk?" He raised an eyebrow enquiringly at the young singer and then realized that Kurt's eyes were a little pink as well as the tip of his nose. He narrowed his eyes at signs that his boy had been crying, and not too long ago, too. However, he would wait for Kurt to tell him what was wrong in his own time.
"No, thanks, I've had enough dairy for one night." Kurt replied vaguely, not realizing that his answer only piqued his dad's curiosity. He tugged off his hoodie and made himself comfortable at the kitchen table. "Dad, can I ask you something?"
Burt smiled to himself but answered, "Shoot, kiddo. Lay it on your old man!" The sound of Kurt's soft chuckle made his smile widen.
"Have you ever been in love with one person but thought you could really like someone else, too?"
Burt's eyebrows shot up and he turned to gape at his son. Kurt was twisting his hands together as he stared down at them resting on top of the table. He didn't see his dad's expression but he must have felt his surprise for he looked up, seeming startled that his dad was staring back at him so intently.
"What?"
Burt just shook his head as he turned off the heat beneath the pan with the warmed milk. "Oh, nothing; it's just that I didn't realize you were in love with Puckerman." He turned back to Kurt. "It is Puckerman, right?"
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Yes, dad, I think I'm in love with Noah." His cheeks pinkened slightly but he stared back bravely. "He's in love with me, too."
Burt just grunted as he poured the milk into a glass. He then moved over to pull out a chair in front of Kurt. He might as well have the milk while trying to get through this little 'father-son' chat.
"So, you're wondering if it's possible to be in love with one guy but be interested in another; that it?"
Kurt shrugged and looked down at his hands again. Boy, this was awkward, but he wanted the perspective of an older person, someone who presumably had been through this crappy teenage stage already and come out relatively sane!
"I was just _ okay, let me back up a bit. Remember when I made that joke about you meeting Bachelor No. 1?" At his dad's nod he continued. "I also told you there were a couple of other guys who might be interested." Again Burt nodded. "Well, Noah is convinced that they want to be my boyfriends but I didn't believe him."
Burt frowned as he stared at his oblivious son. Jesus, did Dr. Phil cover this sort of thing, too? He looked at his son objectively once more, as he'd been forced to do since realizing Kurt was growing up into an attractive young man. He admitted to himself that he'd been guilty of wishing Kurt could remain his little boy forever. He didn't think he was ready for the heartache and headache of having a son – a gay son, at that – who was beginning to date.
Like most men, Burt had thought he would have gotten off scot-free without having to worry about a daughter who was dating and warning her about men and what they mostly wanted. He'd thought, with a son, the kid would grow up to be a rabble-rousing hothead with a string of girls or a jock with a bunch of trophies. His hopes had been summarily dashed when a strong-willed little Kurt had decided that pink, purple and white were his favorite colors, dress shoes with sensible heels were more important than smelly sneakers and that he was justified in shelling out big bucks to protect his beautiful porcelain skin with gallons of high-quality moisturizers and sunscreens.
Burt had sighed, said goodbye to his dreams and proceeded to love the heck out of his unique little boy. Now, his nightmares had returned, where he had to worry about unscrupulous men taking advantage of his only child. His beloved child had turned out to be not only physically attractive but wildly talented with a unique singing voice and an outstanding fashion sense. These attributes drew the attention of not only admirers but haters as well.
Burt still wished he could lock Kurt up and shield him from every negative thing this world would throw at him. Unfortunately, he knew it would also keep away every possible good thing that life had to offer. It all gave him a massive headache when he allowed himself to dwell on it. He wondered if it was the same for all the other parents out there.
All this angsting aside, he had a son who needed his expertise now. "Look, Kurt, I don't want to upset you but, Noah strikes me as the kind of guy who would know about that sort of thing."
Kurt almost frowned but caught himself – he didn't want lines in his forehead at too young an age. "I know, dad, I just hated the thought of him knowing something that I didn't." He smiled wryly as he watched his dad roll his eyes. "So, anyhoo, we decided to make a bet."
"What!" Burt's whisper/yell made Kurt wince; it sounded stupid to him, too, even as it left his mouth.
"I know, I know, dad, but I guess I wasn't thinking. Well, the long and short of it is that I met with them tonight." He cringed as he waited for the explosion.
"Jesus, Kurt, where's your head at, huh? What the heck?" Burt pushed back his chair in his agitation but didn't get up. He had to hear the rest of this little saga and its outcome. "So, what, you went to their homes?" At Kurt's nod, Burt put his face in his palms.
He shook his head; he basically blamed himself for never going through with the whole birds and bees talk with Kurt. The boy had reacted so badly when he'd brought him the pamphlets about gay sex and being safe that he'd allowed the kid to sidetrack him from his duty as a concerned father. Now, he regretted his lily-livered withdrawal in the face of his son's distraught reaction.
He gave thanks to every deity out there who cared, that Kurt seemed to be unharmed. Apart from the evidence of his earlier tears, Kurt seemed in fairly good spirits. The boy watched him now, waiting to continue speaking. Burt nodded for him to go ahead.
"Yeah, I had a French tutoring session with one, and the other – well, we just had ice cream and chatted." He colored slightly at what else had transpired and Burt looked knowingly at him.
"Huh, just lessons and ice cream; nothing else?" He eyed his son's expressive face and was rewarded with the resigned look that meant he was going to come clean.
"Okay, they both kissed me. Sam, the first one, was a little pushy but I explained I could never be interested in him. He knows Noah and is glee club so he knows we're dating." He paused as he thought back to the confident but sweet blond football player. Burt waited patiently for him to continue.
"After I left Sam, I decided, since Noah had been right about him wanting to be my boyfriend, I'd go find out if he was right about Da_ ugh, the other one, too." He winced as he saw Burt's eyes narrow at his stumble and refusal to say the other name. His shoulders slumped as he realized he'd have to come clean about this, too, but he had to try and broach it diplomatically.
"Alright, here's the thing. I don't want you to freak out. This is something Da_ ugh, we've been working on so everything's way better than it was, okay dad?"
Burt paused before he nodded slowly. Now he definitely had to know who Bachelor No. 3 was, if Kurt was this reluctant to say his name. He braced himself.
"Uhmmm, it's Dave, Dave Karofsky." He closed his eyes tightly as he turned his head away, waiting for the eruption.
Nothing.
He squeezed one eye open, turning slightly to look at his dad who was sat staring at the top of the table.
"Daddy?"
Burt looked up at his son and Kurt was taken aback at the cold look in his father's eyes. Burt continued to stare at Kurt for another minute then, all of a sudden, he slumped slightly, a bewildered expression in his eyes. "Why, Kurt?"
Kurt swallowed against the lump in his throat, affected deeply by his father's uncharacteristic reaction to Dave's name. His dad was a fiery, tough guy; he was never cold. For a scary moment, Kurt had seen a side to his dad he hoped never to see again. He didn't want his dad to think of the closeted jock and ex-bully as the enemy. He didn't know why but he felt in his heart that Dave was to be pitied more than hated.
"Dad, Dave is different. I know you remember what he put me through, but I've forgiven him, dad. Can't you try to forgive him, too?"
They sat in silence as Burt tried to digest what his boy was trying to tell him. His son had forgiven the bastard that had made his life a misery for years. Forgiven him! Burt didn't know whether to rail against the Karofsky boy or his own son. How could Kurt have moved on from all that pain and sadness – a situation that had led to Burt and Carole using their honeymoon money to send Kurt to a private school – and now here he was telling him he'd forgiven his bully?
He took a deep, calming breath. "Talk me through this, Kurt. Tell me how you've moved from being scared to death to having ice cream late at night with this, this _ boy?" Burt's tight delivery warned Kurt that he was riding a thin edge and he'd better understand his dad was mad as hell.
Kurt hated his dad being angry with him. Most of all, though, he hated to be put on the defensive for something he considered a good thing. Wasn't forgiving one's enemies and even loving them supposed to be a good thing? That's what all the Christian bible-thumpers were always going on about. Now here was his dad, almost tearing him a new one for doing something good.
"Well, after Dave started protecting me at school when I came back, he apologized to me one day. I had known for a while that he was closeted and figured out that was why he'd targeted me. What I didn't find out until much later was that he was actually attracted me." He looked his dad firmly in the face as he spoke, no wincing, no apology.
Burt stared at his son as he spoke, noting how grown-up he looked. Gone were the sweet apple cheeks and the wide-eyed looks. Now, seated before him, was an elegant young man he felt he hardly knew. He could tell Kurt felt strongly about what he was saying and, for the sake of their relationship, he suddenly realized he had to let Kurt do his own growing up without him holding him back. He nodded to indicate Kurt should continue.
"Well, when the semester started a few weeks back, Dave approached me to apologize again. He was so different, dad, almost as if he was more comfortable in his skin. We met at the Lima Bean for coffee and he explained some stuff to me. He kept apologizing and, seriously, you can only take so much of that kind of groveling. I didn't really want him to grovel because I'd seen the kind of pain he was in before."
Burt looked at him closely. "So, this kid bullied you because he was gay AND he was attracted to you?" At Kurt's nod he continued. "And this didn't creep you out?"
Kurt shook his head swiftly. "I didn't say I wasn't creeped out. I was at first, but dad, if you'd seen the pain he'd been in, you'd understand." Tears came unbidden to his eyes as he thought back to earlier that night. "Then, tonight, he made it clear to me that he was in love with me; had been for a while."
Burt groaned quietly and rubbed his face tiredly. "So, now you think you might like him back a little?"
Kurt gulped and nodded, feeling a little foolish in front of his dad. "It's just that I kinda do like him and I realized, if it hadn't been for Noah, I could very well have fallen for him. It kinda threw me when I realized that. Is that horrible of me?"
Burt looked at his son's pleading eyes and couldn't find it in himself to be even a little bit mad with the kid. All this was still pretty new to him; he knew that Noah was Kurt's first boyfriend. He'd known about his son's little crush on Finn two years ago but he'd not called him on it. This thing with Noah, though, seemed pretty serious. He didn't know if they'd taken it all the way yet, and, truth be told, he didn't really want to know either.
Now though, Burt just smiled reassuringly at his son and patted his hand. "No, kiddo, it's not horrible to find yourself liking more than one person. What you have to do is decide if you really love Noah, seriously, or you're just attracted to him because he's the first jock to want you."
At Kurt's blush, Burt smirked. Kurt, for all his diva-like behavior, was still pretty innocent if mentioning a jock's desire for him made him color up like that. Anyway, he had one more thing to say.
"If you value this thing you have with Noah, forget about the possibility of starting something with the Karofsky kid. Aht!" He held up a hand to stall Kurt's interruption. "I'm not saying that because the kid used to bully you. I just mean_ remember that saying: a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush?"
Kurt laughed at his dad and nodded at the quaint saying. He really did understand what his dad was getting at.
"Okay, then; so, if you 'love' Noah (he winced at the word), forget about Dave and concentrate on your relationship. I'm not saying I would have picked Puckerman as a boyfriend for you, but you seem to be doing alright. And if it turns out that the prince you thought you had is really a frog, throw him back and move on!"
"Dad!" Kurt couldn't hold back the incredulous laugh that burst out of him. Burt joined in and the laughter cleared whatever remaining tension there was between them.
"Come on, kiddo, go on and get ready for bed. You have the rest of your life to sort out this love thing. Believe me, even at my age, I'm no expert."
Kurt got up, moving the chair back and taking up his hoodie. He and Burt headed out of the kitchen and as he turned to head downstairs to his suite, he rushed back to his dad. Burt was a little surprised when Kurt threw himself into his arms and hugged him tightly.
"Goodnight, daddy; I love you." Kurt breathed in his dad's comforting scent and realized how lucky he was to have Burt Hummel's unconditional support.
Burt hugged him back and kissed him on the side of his head. "Goodnight, sweetheart, and sleep tight."
TBC