My thanks for Marl0u, aphass, and especially IlovesMesomeGlee for confidence boosters. I'll gladly keep writing if I get reviews like you all have been giving. Smooch, smooch, smooch, smooch, smooch...

"Well," Kurt began, "we can't do Friday nights and Sundays because you have football and I have glee. Saturdays are possible, I suppose. And I can't do Monday and Tuesday nights because I help Dad out at the shop. And-"

"I can't do Wednesday nights because of football, unless we can do it afterwards at, say, 8PM…or so. When I'd be dog tired…." Dave added, a little dejectedly.

Both boys sighed. Who knew tutoring in high school could be so difficult? But, to both boys, football and glee were very, very important. Dave was determined to find time during the week and weekend. He resolutely refused to see Kurt so sad in geometry class. Or any class. Or anywhere.

Dave and Kurt were sitting outside the lunchroom, munching on today's barely digestible lunch – lasagna and some kind of cornbread. Lunches in American public schools would always be a challenge to make interesting, tasty, and nutritious. But as long as school boards across the country were pleased with overall, fiscal-year costs, taste didn't matter.

Or, at least, that's what Dave and Kurt reasoned.

It was a sunny Tuesday in early September. Positive blue skies and friendly sunshine hovered over the boys in their quest to find time in their dumbly busy schedules for each other. There was no breeze to speak of and the general feeling amongst the boys was serenity.

I will make time for you Kurt. I will.

"So," Dave casually concluded, "it looks like Thursday nights and Saturdays will bring you to my house." Dave ended with a broad smile.

Kurt looked over at Dave and smiled too.

Oh.

Kurt looked radiant under the September sun, wearing a dark orange short-sleeved shirt and tan cotton pants that were incredibly skin-tight. "Earth tones" Kurt would call them. His slender arms looked graceful and strong, even doing something as simple as holding a pencil. Dave giggled to himself at how boyish his little and private observations were. Kurt's smile alone was enough to make Dave happy, as he looked at his secret crush.

Crush is no longer the word. I really, really like this boy. I really lo-

Dave shook his head.

"What?" Kurt asked upon seeing Dave with some kind of internal struggle.

"Nothing." Dave quietly replied.

Dave was suddenly afraid.

.

The boys were now casually walking back into the school, the bell having sounded. Dave was excited.

"So," Dave eagerly began, "what time do you want to come over Saturday?"

"Well, this Saturday I can't come over, but I can come over other Saturdays."

Dave frowned. "Why?" Dave asked, with a little whine to his voice. Purposely, he didn't even try to hide his disappointment. In just the few seconds the boys decided Saturdays would be one of the two good days for in-home tutoring, Dave had already planned a few things – snacks Kurt would like and appreciate, estimated arrival times, teaching strategies, sodas, other beverages…privacy.

"I have to go to the Dayton Airport." Kurt calmly replied.

Dave gave Kurt a questioning look.

"I'm going to pickup Mercedes. I'm riding with her parents." Kurt said.

"Oh. Yeah." Dave said, "Where has Mercedes been? I meant to ask you a while ago, seeing as she's your besty."

"Besty?" Kurt said, laughing. "Now, that's a word I never envisioned coming out of your mouth!"

There goes Kurt laughing again because of something Dave said. Dave grinned. Yet another reason Dave was practically in love with this boy besides…..well, that explanation would just be paragraph after paragraph after paragraph…. Dave was grinning so hard his face was hurting. And he never fiercely enjoyed pain like this! This was the right kind of pain.

I wanna kiss you right now.

Kurt finally stopped laughing to answer Dave's question. Dave didn't stop grinning. Why should he?

"Mexico." Kurt responded.

"Mexico?!" Dave asked, surprised.

"Yup. Despite my best efforts to have Mercedes take French, so I wouldn't have to pair up with Azimio in class," Kurt began, as Dave rolled his eyes, "she took Spanish and was living the last five months in Ciudad de Mexico with an apparently nice upper class family. She signed up for McKinley's exchange program and was eager to give Mexico a try. She loved it down there, but she's ready to come back home."

Kurt's smile gradually dropped off his face. Dave, or course, noticed.

"I miss her." Kurt said simply.

"Well, you don't have to wait much longer to see her again." Dave said. And then, he decided to test the friendship waters a little bit.

"Would you like some company?" Dave asked, a little bashfully.

"Hmmm," Kurt replied, thoughtfully. "I don't think so. Like I said, I'm riding down with her parents. So, in their car, that would be her Mom and Dad, Mercedes, and me. If you came with me, that would be a tight squeeze in their car. Mercedes is, after all, full figured. And you're….."

Kurt horrifyingly paused, knowing he'd love to put his shoe in his mouth right now. Dave looked away, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He wasn't going to let Kurt off the hook for this one and he was enjoying it waaaaay too much.

Kurt was at a loss as to what to say. Thoughts were a mile a minute inside Kurt's head, eyes slightly bulged. Dave, sympathy winning over, finally looked back at Kurt with a massive smile on his face.

Relieved, Kurt was the first one to talk.

"I'm so sor-"

"Don't you dare apologize, Kurt. I was enjoying that!"

Dave was rewarded with a little smack to his bicep.

"Owwwww," Dave exaggeratedly whined, "that hurrrrrt."

Kurt smiled. Dave winked. The boys walked.

.

Students were milling about all around Dave and Kurt. Casual strolling turned into picking up the pace. Nobody really paid any attention to the boys, even the jocks. They were just two students, walking side-by-side. Former Bully and Former Victim, Former BullyWhip and Former Victim. Of course, if the whole truth were revealed, the student body would notice them then.

Dave and Kurt's next classes were in the same hall, but two rooms apart. As they were heading to class, Azimio, who was down the hall, identified Dave, turned, and started walking towards them.

Kurt tensed, just slightly moving closer to Dave. It suddenly occurred to Dave that he hadn't updated Kurt on what happened in the gymnasium earlier that day. Dave gave Kurt a reassuring glance, but didn't have a chance to speak.

"Yo D!" Azimio announced as he stopped right in front of them. Azimio wasn't very literate.

"Az. Sup?" Dave asked.

Azimio intensely observed a suddenly frightened Kurt. He was looking at Kurt so strongly that it was as if Azimio was a predator. Dave didn't know why Azimio was so intense right then but he immediately had to put Kurt at ease.

"Az, we're cool, right?" Dave asked, inclining his head towards Kurt but keeping his eyes on his best friend.

"Yeah," Azimio began, still watching Kurt, "we're cool."

Kurt was uneasy. He shifted his weight and looked at Azimio warily.

Dave cleared his throat to get Azimio's attention. Azimio finally looked back at Dave.

There's a point in all friendships when body and eye language say more than words. Thanks to years of friendship, Dave told Azimio with these languages that Azimio had to make this right. Azimio raised an eyebrow to Dave, as if to ask No way, him?! Dave very subtly nodded. Azimio very quickly smirked which awarded him a hostile glare from Dave. Azimio's smirk gradually fell away.

This communication went on for much longer than Kurt was comfortable with. Escalating, Kurt couldn't take it any longer.

"I'm gonna take off." Kurt said shakily.

"Kurt, wait." Dave pleaded. "Az?" Dave asked insistently.

Azimio looked at Dave.

Please Az!

Azimio rolled his eyes, smirked at Dave (shut up!), and began finally addressing Kurt.

"A'right, Hummel," Azimio said, "D's my bro. It was some fucked up shit that we did, but we're cool now, right? So, he's my bro."

Kurt blinked while Dave sighed.

"Kurt, that's about as good as it's gonna get." Dave said dryly.

This time, it was Kurt's turn to sigh.

"Alright, Azimio. We're 'cool'."

Azimio's smile seemed to brighten up the hallway.

"Jet." Azimio announced, fist bumping Dave as he left.

At Kurt's confused look, Dave simply shrugged and gently pressed Kurt's shoulder, urging him on to class.

.

The end of the school day arrived and it wasn't too soon for Dave. A lot happened to him. He got closer to Kurt (my Kurt), came out to his best friend, solidified tutoring dates, and reconciled Kurt and Azimio. Sighing, he closed his locker, heading to the locker room for football practice. Soon, Azimio was in step like he always was.

You drive me insane most days, but you're still pretty cool, Azimio.

Inside the locker room, teammates and coaching staff were doing their normal routines. Practice was full pads today, so teenage boys busied themselves with their girdles, padding, shoulder pads, cleats, etc. Air was being pumped in footballs while boys laughed, joked, and otherwise acted like teenagers. Dave and Azimio had quickly become accustomed to the sights and smells of a locker room, but Dave knew Kurt never would.

Funny how Dave's thoughts always returned to Kurt. My Kurt. Dave never tired of referring to Kurt in this way. He joked with himself that he might accidentally say that to Kurt someday and shuddered at the thought.

He so badly wanted Kurt as a boyfriend. But, several factors stood in the way. Dave wasn't out. He couldn't. Not yet anyway.

Although Kurt hadn't brought it up, there was the phantom presence of Blaine Anderson. Dave frowned. Blaine annoyed Dave.

There's something about that guy I don't trust.

Dave couldn't put his finger on it, but there was always a jolt of sudden discomfort around Blaine.

Dave also did not know where he stood with Kurt's father. Burt Hummel could be formidable. Since Dave and Kurt had become light friends, Burt's name rarely came up. So far, all tutoring sessions were scheduled at Dave's house, but it wasn't at any boys specific request. It was just assumed the tutoring sessions would be at Dave's house and neither boy protested.

But things were looking up. Azimio took Dave's news well. Blaine's name rarely (if ever) seemed to come up. And his friendship with Kurt was getting stronger and stronger every day.

Dave smiled.

An additional path to Dave's ultimate goal would open up next week and he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it sooner.

Mercedes. Dave would befriend Kurt's best friend. He knew he had some work to do to gain her trust and friendship. But Kurt was worth it.

Oh yeah. Kurt was definitely worth it.