Over the past few weeks, Nick has kept his promise to Dave by visiting and hanging out with him almost every day. At first Dave felt like a charity case, but then he realized that Nick actually cared. While none of the other guys that tormented Dave even looked Dave's way, Nick took a much different rout. They were even becoming friends…if that's possible.
"So are you coming back to school, or what?" Nick asked with a mouthful of Chinese food. Dave smirked at his manners, but only for a short second. The thought of going back to that school shook Dave to the core.
"No," He simply said and continued eating. Nick sat up straighter.
"Come on, man! You can do it! I'll back you up."
"You'll just get tormented too; and you know it," Dave pointed out; he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He leaned back against Nick's couch and turned up the TV. Nick rolled his eyes, grabbed the remote and muted the TV.
"I don't care!" While Dave groaned, Nick threw his arms up in the air. "Dave! You can't let them run you out of the school!"
"Them?" Dave scuffed. "You are them!" Neither of them expected Dave to say that. The look on Nick's face sent guilt through Dave, but that only got him angrier. Why does he hang out with this guy? "For all I know, you're just hanging out with me to make me think I'm your friend, and then get me back in the school just to be more of a jackass then before!"
"That's what you think I'm doing?" Nick gapped.
"Sometimes, yeah." Dave admitted. He shook his head, placed the food down on the table and got up.
"Where are you going?" Nick complained.
"Home." Nick just followed him.
"Dude, that's not what I'm doing, I swear!" He grabbed Dave by his arm to stop him from opening Nick's front door. Dave paused for a moment just to hear him out, "I promise you, I'm not doing any of that shit anymore, okay? I mean it. I'm not like that! I don't know why I even messed with you in the first place. It was out of line, I'm sorry."
"Yeah, it was out of line!" Dave grunted. "You didn't need to tell anyone what you saw at breadsticks!"
"I know," Nick sighed.
"You had no business doing that!"
"I know,"
"You didn't need to write fag on my gym locker, either."
"That actually wasn't me…but I see your point," Nick rubbed the back of his neck. "Look, I should have never told anyone about breadsticks. Really. I don't know why I did it. I have nothing against you or what you are!"
"Obviously you did." Dave rolled his eyes and opened the door. Nick grabbed it.
"Dude! If I did, would I be hanging out with you right now?" That got Dave to think. Maybe he was just being paranoid. While he grew red in the face, he backed away from the door and closed it. "I'm really sorry, Dave, I mean it."
"I know you are," Dave sighed. "I'm just being…stupid. I don't know." Nick shook his head.
"No, it's okay. I get it. I'd be like that too. I'm just…trying to be your friend. If you want me to be, I mean," Nick held his hand out. It took a while for Dave to shake it back. He had a lot to lose by trusting Nick, and he told him just that. "I won't let you down, I promise." And from the look in his eyes, Dave knew he wasn't lying.
After that day, the two boys have been friends without any complications. Nick helps Dave out if he's having any troubles or doubts. Dave helps Nick out with his homework because it turns out Dave is actually really smart and Nick isn't the brightest person. Nick sort of reminds Dave of Finn. But thinking about Finn leads to thinking about Kurt, and Dave doesn't want to do that.
One day, Nick shocks Dave by asking about Kurt himself. "So, who was that kid at Breadsticks anyways?" Nick asks slowly, not sure if he should cross that line. Dave's shoulders stiffen for a second but he relaxes them so he could throw the football to Nick. Playing football is the only way Nick could come over to Dave's house; Dave's mom still thinks that Dave could be 'cured' and doesn't trust having other boys over. For some reason, Dave's mom thinks that football will make Dave manlier again. Even though Dave doesn't want to go along with what his mother believes, it's the only way that Nick can hang out with him at his house and Dave has no one else to talk to besides him.
"Just a kid from McKinley," Dave shrugged as if it was no big deal. Nick knows that there's more to it than that, and even though he doesn't want to push Dave, he knows he needs to let it out.
"Just a kid?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"No reason," Nick shrugs and throws the ball back as hard as he could. Dave grunts as he catches it against his chest. "So…do you…like him?" Dave almost drops the ball.
"What?" Nick smirks a little.
"I know you do, don't lie."
"Whatever," Dave throws the ball twice as hard as he normally does out of aggression. "Just throw the damn ball." They don't talk about it again.
Every once in a while, Nick convinces Dave to get out of the house more, not counting coming over to his own. On Friday night, the two of them go downtown for a little bit. When they pass Breadsticks, both of them grow a little tense. Things get even more uncomfortable when Dave sees Kurt in there with Blaine and a few other people from McKinley. "Can we go?" Dave asks while he scratches at the back of his neck.
"Y-yeah, let's go." Nick holds onto Dave's elbow to steer them in the other direction. Dave feels like he's going to either have a heart attack or cry; either way, Nick doesn't want that to happen. They're halfway down the street when they hear someone shout Dave's name. It's too deep to be Kurt's voice, but that doesn't make Dave any less afraid to look back. What if they remember Nick? What if they think he's causing Dave more trouble? What if they beat up Nick?
"Should we turn around?" Nick whispers. Dave shrugs so slightly, Nick barely saw. He looks over his shoulder as discretely as he can. "It's some tall ass guy." Dave sighs with relief. Finn's innocent…sometimes.
Both boys turn around to face Finn, who's smiling brightly at them. He waves them over, "Hey, Dave!"
"Finn," Dave barely lifts his hand up as a wave back. He shoves his hands into his pockets nervously. Clearly, Finn doesn't know Nick, or recognize him.
"Who's this?" He offers his hand to the kid.
"I'm Nick,"
"Nick?" Finn frowns a little. Dave holds his breath as Finn starts to think. "The Warbler?" a laugh falls out of Dave without warning. Even though they don't know why Dave's laughing, the other boys smile.
"What's a Warbler?" Nick asks both of them with confusion.
"A bird…or a show choir at Dalton," Finn explains with a shrug of his shoulder. "You guys want to come inside? We're not even eating, just talkin'."
"I don' know…" Dave bits down into the inside of his cheek.
"What harm could it do?" Finn asks innocently.
"A lot," Dave mumbles. While Finn frowns again, Nick offers a small smile.
"Sure, why not."
* * *
Kurt punches Nick. No one has ever seen Kurt punch someone before, or even get violent. "You have a lot of freakin' nerve, jack ass!" Kurt yells at the blond boy while Blaine and Finn hold him back. Nick is holding onto his chin; Kurt doesn't have very good aim, but he has a lot of strength, Nick will give him that.
"Kurt, calm down," Dave points his finger at him. He's been standing in between the two boys since they walked in. Kurt had recognized Nick right away and had made that clear to everyone. He told New Directions what Nick did to Dave, and most of them backed him up.
"Calm down? He…" Kurt tries to break free of Blaine and Finn's hold but Finn pulls him back.
"Dave's right. Calm down, bro." Finn tells his step-brother. Kurt finally sighs, an indication that he's given up. Finn releases him, but Blaine keeps an arm around his shoulders protectively. "Dave, is this true? Was Nick one of the guys?"
"Ah…maybe just a little," Dave says weakly. Kurt groans and stomps his foot. "But things are different now!"
"It's true," Nick speaks for the first time. "I was totally out of line before, and I feel terrible about it still."
"So you're just sucking up to David now, is that it?" Kurt asks sharply.
"No!" Both boys say at the same time. The tension in the area is thick. When Brittney wheels Quinn to the booth that they've taken over, they both look at Kurt and Dave with confusion.
"Did we miss something here?" Quinn asks with a nervous smile. Her eyes fall on Nick, who is looking at the door as if he's about to run out. She can see the red mark on his jaw. "What happened?"
"Kurt sort of, lost control for a second," Dave explains. "Hi, Q."
"Hi, Dave." She gives him a kind smile. "Nice to see you."
"Yeah, Dave. You look good," Brittney agrees.
"Thanks,"
"Okay, enough with the happy talk!" Kurt steps away from Blaine, who protests. "I lost control because this asshole is one of the guys who wrote fag on David's gym locker and tormented him on facebook!"
"What?" Quinn gasps, looking between the two tall boys. "Dave, are you okay?" Obviously she thinks that Nick showed up causing a problem.
"Just perfect," Kurt mumbles.
"Kurt, cut him some slack!" Dave pleads as Nick shifts his weight from one foot to the other. Quinn can't help but watch his movements the whole time. He looks downright on comfortable.
"Cut him some slack? Why on earth would I…"
"Because if you gave me a second chance, don't you think I should give him one?" Everyone falls silent. They had all forgotten that Dave was once a bully to Kurt and all of them.
"Well when you put it like that," Kurt says under his breath as he wraps his arms around himself.
"What Kurt means is," Blaine steps him, "We're sorry, Dave…Nick."
"Me too," Nick admits. His eyes are too trained to the floor to notice Brittney walk up to him. He doesn't know she's there until she punches him lightly in the arm, "Ow." He jumps.
"Why were you mean to Dave?" Nick gaps for an answer while Quinn chuckles.
"Sorry," She grabs Brittney's hand and tugs her away from Nick. "She has a mind of her own sometimes."
"It's…fine," Nick huffs as he meets Quinn's eye. She gives him a kind smile before pulling Brittney down to her level and reprimanding her quietly. Nick doesn't look away.
On the way back to Nick's house, the car ride is almost completely silent. Dave is staring out the window, his mind clouded with a hundred thoughts while Nick only has one. He's not sure if he should mention it to Dave; maybe Dave will think it's inappropriate or out of line. But, he has to know…
"Hey, Dave?" Nick finally speaks. Dave picks his head up from the window to look at the driver.
"Huh?"
"Who…who was that girl in the wheelchair?" Nick asks nervously. Dave's eyebrow goes up into the air.
"What?"
"The girl," Nick sighs, tapping the steering wheel with his thumb quickly. "…Quinn, was it?" he can't deny that his neck is growing a bit warm just mentioning the girl. Dave smirks.
"Why?"
"I was just…wondering."
"What about Margret?" Dave's smirk grows even more over at Nick. Oh, crap, Margret.
"Never mind, forget it man." Nick shakes his head. While Dave chuckles and goes on about how Nick easily forgot all about his girlfriend in the past few weeks, Nick's mind goes back to breadsticks. He can't get Quinn off his mind. Damn, he needs to talk to his girlfriend tomorrow.
Let's just say, Margret is the third person to punch Dave in two days. Clearly, they broke up.
"Give me her number."
"No."
"Give me her number."
"No."
"Give me her number."
"Nick!" Dave shouted. Dave's dad Paul snickers as he passed the boys to get to the kitchen. Nick huffs and throws himself over the back of the couch. He lands with his feet hanging off the back and his head on cushion.
"Come on, man! Please?"
"She doesn't want to date anyone right now," Dave explains. At least, that's what Kurt told him. The two of them have been talking a lot more since Breadsticks. Kurt's not as mad and Dave's not as shy. Blaine's still iffy on them being friends because of the whole Valentine's fiasco but Blaine's one of the nicest people Dave's ever met so he doesn't cause any trouble.
"Who said anything about dating?" Nick frowns. The look Dave gives him is priceless.
"Excuse me?"
Nick slaps Dave's stomach because that's the only place he could reach, "You know what I mean! I just want to get to know her; I'm not trying to sex her up!"
"Whatever. She still doesn't want to be involved." Dave rolls his eyes and continues to flip through his sports magazine.
"So she doesn't want any friends?"
"Not with you she doesn't."
"That's just cold," Nick shakes his head. The blood is starting to rush to his head, so he gets up. "Whatever. You suck, dude." Nick slaps the back of Dave's head, making him chuckle. "Do you have anything to drink?"
"Not like you don't know where the fridge is," Dave says, not interested in anything Nick's doing right now. With his mom out of the house for the day, Nick is allowed into the Karofsky household. He always sneaks in whenever Dave's mom is out.
While Nick is ransacking the fridge in the kitchen, Dave's phone goes off. He was going to let it go when he noticed a familiar number on the screen. Kurt.
"Hello?" He asks slowly. Kurt never calls.
"David?" From the sound of Kurt's voice, Dave knew something was up.
"Where are you? I'll be there right away."
-
Nick tagged along for the ride only because he had no way of getting home with Dave being the one who picked him up. From the way Dave's speeding, Nick knew his thoughts were confirmed.
"I knew it! I knew you liked this guy!" Nick shook his smirking head.
"Shut up."
"Naw, it's cool," Nick shrugged. "Like who you like, I don't care." Dave scuffed, "Seriously. He seemed nice."
"Nick, he punched you in the face," Dave chuckled a little.
"Yeah, I was just trying to make you feel better."
"You're in idiot."
"Why thank you; now give me Quinn's number."
So this chapter was very delayed, sorry about that! I wasn't sure if I was going to write another chapter, but it sort of flowed out of me. The first part was what held real purpose because it showed Nick and Dave becoming friends, but the rest is sort of random and fluffy if you think about it. IDK, I just like the thought of Aaron Hill and Dianna Agron…am I the only one?