If anyone notices the sudden change in seating arrangements, no one says anything. Kurt sits where he has all summer long, but Dave now occupies the seat at the other end, forcing Finn to take his place. He watches the movie and tries not to pay any attention to the ache in his chest. He tells himself he doesn't miss having Kurt next to him, or the easy, natural manner they'd developed with one another. He tries not to think of pale hands clutching at his shirt or—god—Kurt's lips pressed against his. He tries not to acknowledge the well of hurt and disappointment left behind in the wake of that bright, surging moment of joy.
Because he always knew Kurt was crazy in love with Blaine, so he had no reason to have gotten his hopes so high, right?
Kurt hides behind his hands for most of the movie, grouses more often than usual, and doesn't miss Dave's warm arm around his shoulders or the smell of his skin and the detergent he uses. Not even a little bit. He doesn't nearly forget twice and curl up with Finn, either. Nope. Didn't happen. He definitely didn't spend hours that Friday debating with himself over whether or not he should just let things go back to the way they were before.
Kurt Hummel does not think about kissing Dave Karofsky because he already has Blaine Anderson, and that should be enough for anyone, right? That should be the only person he wants to kiss.
Two Saturdays later, Finn sits in his old spot before Dave can take it, and Dave is left with two options: sit there or make a big deal about Finn switching seats. Not wanting to look like a jackass, Dave takes his old seat next to Kurt, and tries to act like it's not a big deal. He watches the movie determinedly and ignores his peripheral view of Kurt's fingers twirling through Blaine's hair. Until, of course, the pod people start taking over. Then, he feels Kurt stiffen next to him. There's a moment of shifting around, and Dave is absolutely sure Kurt just curled himself into a ball and is hiding his face in his knees. He chances a look.
He's right, and he turns his attention back to the movie quickly, hoping Kurt didn't notice that he looked.
Kurt doesn't…but then, Dave hasn't noticed Kurt stealing glances at him every Saturday night for the last two weeks, so he's due a freebie. Unfortunately, he can't just count his blessings and stick with that single glance; now that he's allowed himself one, he wants another. When he gets away with a second, he wants a third.
He gets five covert looks in before his luck runs out. On glance number six, he and Kurt look up at the same time, and their eyes catch and hold. Kurt's go wide. Dave fights the ridiculous impulse to squeeze his shut. They let themselves stare for a moment before Dave sighs.
"C'mere," he says quietly, lifting his arm and motioning for Kurt to scoot closer. Kurt regards him warily for a moment before he responds.
"I…don't think that's a good idea, David." His eyes are full of an apology, but Dave just drops his arm and turns his attention back to the movie, trying not to let the rejection show on his face. How many times are you going to let Kurt turn you down before you learn your lesson and stop asking?
Ten minutes later there are more pod people on the screen than humans, and Kurt just can't watch anymore. He finds himself leaning over and pressing his face into Dave's arm, feeling the muscles tense and then relax as Dave shifts automatically to make Kurt more comfortable. He fits there, pressed against David's side with one arm wrapped around his back and the other crossing his own body to slip across Kurt's stomach. Dave's hands rest, one over the other, on Kurt's right hip, large, heavy and warm through the thin fabric of Kurt's t-shirt. He's in that dangerous place again, so close to the line he doesn't want to cross again, between what's acceptable for two friends and what's a betrayal of his boyfriend. Maybe the way he feels means he's already crossed it just by sitting next to Dave. His conscience tells him to pull away, but everything else is screaming at him to stay right where he is, and so he listens to the louder voices and relaxes into Dave's embrace, sighing softly at the utter relief he feels as the texture and smell and sound—heartbeat thumping fast in his ear—of Dave surrounds him again.
Dave is tied in knots. He doesn't know what to think anymore, and the confusion hurts even more than an outright rejection. Thinking back, he begins to realize that he did have a reason to get his hopes up. Kurt gave him a hundred reasons, a hundred unnecessary touches and a month of Saturday nights spent curled up in his arms and seemingly content to stay there. His lips tingle with the memory of the biggest reason: Kurt had kissed him. Not just a light, friendly peck on the cheek, not something that could be even remotely construed as platonic. No, he remembers, flushing…he and Kurt had been making out two feet to the left of where he was currently sitting. Kurt had been pressed against him from lips to knees, practically sitting in his lap and holding onto him for dear life.
He's old enough to know that a kiss is not a promise, though. He understands that kissing him doesn't mean Kurt isn't still crazy about Blaine. These stolen moments of closeness are apparently all Kurt is willing to give, and God help him, Dave will take what he can get.
He props his cheek on the top of Kurt's head, pressing his face into the soft brown hair and inhaling deeply, tightening his arms just the littlest bit. Kurt shifts in his grasp, turning his head to take in Dave's expression. And for once, Dave looks at the boy he adores and doesn't try to keep those feelings off his face. He tells Kurt that he loves him with every line and curve and pore, and Kurt takes it in silently.
"David, you just think that you love me, you don't really love me."
Now Kurt realizes how presumptuous that sounds. How could he have just dismissed Dave's feelings like that? Especially after the week Dave had spent trying to make him feel special. But then, it hadn't really been about Dave, had it? Kurt remembers how uncomfortable he felt then, how he didn't know what to do or how to make himself clear without hurting Dave. He didn't want the other boy's feelings to be real because if they were, then Kurt's rejection would break his heart. He really didn't want to break anyone's heart, especially not—oddly enough—Dave Karofsky's. So Kurt told himself Dave's feelings were exaggerated, a misinterpretation of something else, and he tried to be as kind as possible. He thought he'd at least managed not to be cruel.
So what was he doing now? He wasn't making himself clear, and he was definitely hurting Dave, if the emotions flitting across his face—hope longing disappointment pain resignation self-restraint pain heartbreak pain pain pain—are any indication. But he doesn't know what to say, how to fix the mistakes he's made so far, so he just curls back into Dave's side and closes his eyes, snaking a hand out to grasp one of Dave's and holding tight, as if he can somehow help Dave hold everything together if they just stay close enough.
When the lights come on, Kurt has fallen asleep, and Dave has disentangled his hands from Kurt's and moved so it looks more like Kurt fell asleep on him and less like he fell asleep in his arms. Santana glares at him pointedly, but Blaine just quips that they look adorable together. Dave wonders how anyone can be so secure in what they have with another person. He doesn't know if it says more about Blaine, Kurt, or himself, but for the first time in a long time he's sincerely annoyed with Blaine Anderson. He reigns in his irritation and extracts himself from the couch as carefully as possible, leaving Kurt sleeping on his side with a blanket tucked around him.
He drives home deep in thought, not realizing until he's up in his room and in bed that he left his phone on silent. To his surprise, he has two missed calls, and one new text message.
Sorry I fell asleep and didn't get to say goodnight. Can you come over early next Saturday? I need to talk to you. – Kurt
He stares at the message for what feels like an eternity before he types out his response.
It's fine, and sure. I'll see you then. – D.
He doesn't expect a reply back, so he's surprised when his phone lights up a moment later.
Okay. Good. David…thanks for protecting me from the pod people. – Kurt
Dave smiles at that.
I don't know why you found it so scary. After all, you're practically dating a pod person. – D.
The response was fast in coming, and Dave had to stifle a laugh. He could practically hear the indignant tone of Kurt's voice.
Blaine is not a pod person, he was in preparatory school. There's a significant difference. Anyway, a year in McKinley's glee club is enough to knock the conformity out of anyone. – Kurt
Yeah, but only the punishing heat of an Ohio summer could finally force him to lose the gel helmet. – D.
Dave suspected it was more the amount of teasing Blaine had endured about it from Santana and himself, but he wasn't going to point that out to Kurt. His teasing of Blaine had started out slightly bitter, but now it was mostly good-natured, and Blaine took it in stride. He seemed to always try to ignore or placate Finn for some reason, and he was somehow oblivious to the chopping block that was Santana Lopez's wit, but with Dave he played neither dumb nor nice. When it came to joking insults traded between friends, Blaine gave as good as he got. It was refreshing, really.
Dave's phone buzzed, and he groaned when he read Kurt's reply.
David Allen Karofsky, I happen to know that until you were twelve years old, you gelled your hair into ridiculous spikes all over your head that made you look like a disgruntled porcupine. I have the yearbook photos to prove it. – Kurt
Fuck my life. You win. No more teasing Blaine about his hair. – D.
Your language is atrocious, but I thought that might do the trick. – Kurt
Can I still ask him to let me use his eyebrows for a trigonometry project? – D.
I'm going to pretend I didn't read that. Go to sleep. – Kurt
Can't sleep, pod people will get me. – D.
Damn it Dave Karofsky, now I will never sleep again. – Kurt
My work here is done. Sweet dreams! ;D – D.
I will get you for this. – Kurt
Dave went to sleep with a smile on his face. Kurt went to sleep thinking of Dave's arms around his shoulders, and how he was going to handle what he had to do before next Saturday.