I couldn't go to bed until I had finished this chapter. I did fall asleep a time or two in front of the screen! This story is more angsty than my usual, but fear not, my lovely readers, the fluff is on it's way soon! I totally stole a line from my favorite book Deathly Hallows here...do you see where it is? Thanks to everyone for their song suggestions for Kurt. I wanted to use every single one of them and they all worked, but I had to pick just one in the end. Review if you like. Review if you hate it. Review if your like "meh...that's 10 minutes of my life I'll never get back!"

Before he could think, before he could give himself one of a thousand excuses not to answer, Kurt dived for the phone. Clicking the answer button, he waited.

Silence.

Finally, a nervous half laugh.

"Umm...hello?"

"Hello, David."

Kurt's quiet voice belied the anxiety he was feeling. His heart was beating so hard he could feel it in the tips of his fingers and toes.

The nervous half laugh was more strained this time.

"...hey, Kurt. Sorry about the last couple of nights. I've been kind of sick, my mom's made me go to bed early..."

He trailed off, not even bothering to continue with his lame, and obviously false explanation. Kurt gripped his phone, running his hand through his already mussed hair.

"Did you call me just to lie to me, David? Because I can't stand liars"

Kurt heard something then. A quiet noise. Like something halfway between a whimper and a sob.

"No..no..you're right. I…I'm sorry. God, I didn't mean to screw this up. I just needed time to think and that damn assignment from Mr. Shue was messing with my head and ..."

He trailed off, clearly hoping that Kurt would jump in and laugh it off, or maybe dismiss the two days as nothing. Anything so they could return to their warm camaraderie of before.

In that moment Kurt wanted so badly to smooth over what had happened and spend the next few hours mending his wounded heart with the joy of talking to Dave. Talking about everything and nothing.

It hurt him to hear the desperation in the other boy's voice; as if Dave also had the feeling that something precious was slipping away.

But Kurt couldn't do it again. Couldn't slip back into another month of make believe, where they spoke everything but the words that they needed to say, and shared everything but the truth.

It would kill him to open himself up to Dave like that and have him walk away again. He'd almost had a mental breakdown in Glee today, after only two days of not speaking to Dave. Maybe it was unreasonable, maybe he wasn't giving Dave the time that he needed, but Kurt knew that he had had reached his limit.

He couldn't wait by the phone until 4 again. He couldn't settle for friendship when he wanted so much more. He couldn't talk for hours without saying anything.

Heaving a sigh, he forced himself to speak.

"So, I really liked your song today in Glee. You have a beautiful voice. "

Dave's response was quick, relief coloring his tone.

"Thanks! That means a lot, coming from you. What are you going to sing tomorrow?"

But Kurt wasn't done with his questions.

"I don't know. Who was the person you were singing too? You mentioned it being the only person you've ever been in love with?"

The nervous silence returned.

"Oh…I...I...a girl that I knew last year. Last summer. She's not from around here. She's from..uhh…Boston. Yeah, so I never get to see her or anything. "

This time the silence stretched for a good minute before Kurt's tired voice replied with one word.

"Oh"

Dave started to speak then, rushing to fill the silence, but Kurt didn't hear him.

He'd already clicked the end button on his phone.

Sliding from his bed to the floor, he gave way to the desolation washing over him. Dropping his phone to the floor, he curled up in the smallest ball that he could, his arms wrapped around his knees, head bowed.

And the let the misery pull him under.

He didn't know how long he remained curled up on the floor. His phone rang seven times before he finally shut it off.

He couldn't bear hearing it over and over…

Something always brings me back to you...

Something always brings be back to you...

He was just picking himself up off the floor when he heard it. A tentative knock at the door.

Who would be coming to the house at 1230 at night?

Warily, Kurt slipped down the steps.

He didn't think it could be Dave. It wouldn't be Dave.

It was Dave.

Standing on his porch in the pouring rain.

And suddenly, all of the emotions he'd thought swept away by the misery returned, stronger than before.

Confusion. Attraction. Anger….Hope.

Shaking hands reached for the dead bolt, and pulled open the door.

Drenched and shivering, Dave looked up, meeting Kurt's eyes.

If Kurt had felt that he knew misery in those moments before Dave's arrival, looking into the other boy's eyes made him realize that he hadn't even scratched the surface of pain.

Dave looked as if he had lived a hundred years of misery since Kurt had last seen him.

"God, Dave...come in. Let me go get some towels"

Dave followed Kurt docilely, once again bending his head, seemingly unable to maintain eye contact with the other boy.

Grabbing a few fluffy towels from the hall closet, Kurt led Dave into the dim; fire lit family room.

He'd had more than one dream of spending an evening with Dave in this very room, in front of the fire. They would be snuggled together underneath a blanket, watching the fire glow, talking about their dreams and hopes. Eventually Dave would reach over and press his lips to Kurt's and they'd be wrapped up in each other and then...

Kurt snapped back to attention. This was hardly a romantic rendezvous.

Dave was toweling his wet hair and clothes, refusing to either speak or look at Kurt.

Sighing, Kurt realized that he'd have to be the one to initiate the conversation.

"Dave, why did you come here?"

Pausing in the action of folding the now damp towels, Dave hesitated.

"I...uh…I couldn't leave things the way they were"

Kurt shook his head, his anger and disappointment sparking his next comment.

"Why the fuck do you even care? Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with this girl? The Boston one? The love of your life?"

Having fired off the questions in rapid succession, he moved away from the other boy, sinking into one of the lounge chairs in front of the fire.

It was weird, but being in front of the fire didn't warm him up at all.

Hearing hesitant footsteps, he looked up to see Dave standing in front of his chair.

The misery was stamped even more clearly on his face. His lips moved; but no sound emerged, as though he were trying to say something, but wasn't able to actually articulate it.

Kurt gave him a minute. Then two. Finally, after a solid five minutes of watching Dave stand immobile in front of him, Kurt gave up. The last spark of hope died, and he made to get up from the chair.

Dave's large hand clapped down on his shoulder, forcing him back into his seat.

Just like in glee, tears were tracking down his cheeks again. Taking in a shuddering breath, he spoke in halting tones...

"Kurt...I don't know…I can't seem to…I need…I want to say…"

Suddenly it was as if a dam burst of emotion broke through and Dave fell to his knees. Reaching forward he wrapped his arms around Kurt's lithe body, burying his face in Kurt's pajama clad chest.

Kurt was shocked.

He'd heard of bringing someone to their knees, but he'd never imagined he could do that to anyone. Much less this big, tough jock.

Not knowing what to do, acting on instinct, Kurt wrapped his arms around Dave's shoulders; gently running his hands through the other boy's hair. Feeling the other boy's shoulders shaking with silent sobs, Kurt began to make soothing noises, trying with his hands, his body, and his words to bring comfort and solace to the boy who clung to him so desperately.

He had no idea how much time passed. Life took on a dreamy unreality. Eventually Dave's sobs calmed, and the embrace began to slowly evolve. From one of comfort to one of passion.

The hands that had wrapped around Kurt's body were now engaged in running up and down's Kurt's back, pulling him steadily closer.

Before long, they were wrapped up in each other, lying in front of the fire.

Not a word was spoken.

As if they both knew that to speak at that moment would break the spell.

Finally Dave murmured that he had to leave. Tilting Kurt's chin up, looking at him, eye to eye, he added one more thing, before unwrapping their bodies and walking out the door.

"I don't know what it means, but you deserve to know that today…I was singing to you"

"Alright everyone, I want to thank you all for the wonderful performances. Puck, your rendition of "My Prerogative" as a love letter to yourself was especially touching. Anyway, as you know, only one performance remains…a big hand for our own Kurt Hummel!"

The Glee club clapped wildly, cheering and whistling as Kurt made his way to the front of the room.

"Thanks guys! To be honest, I've changed my mind a million times about what to sing. I decided to go with something by my favorite artist- Joan Armatrading. In the end, there is only one person I could sing this song to. I don't know what it means, but you deserve to know that today…I will be singing to you"

Kurt could hear Dave's indrawn breath as he repeated his own words back to him verbatim.

Nodding to Brad; the accompanist, he began.

I'm not the sort of person who falls in and quickly out of love
But to you, I give my affection, right from the start.
I have a lover who loves me - how could I break such a heart?
Yet still you get my attention.

Why do you come here, when you know I've got troubles enough?
Why do you call me, when you know I can't answer the phone?
And make me lie when I don't want to,
And make someone else some kind of an unknowing fool?
Make me stay when I should not?
If you're so strong then resolve the weakness in me.
Why do you come here, and pretend to be just passing by?
I need to see you - I need to hold you - tightly.

Feeling guilty,
And I'm worried, and I'm waking from a tormented sleep
'Cause this old love, you know it has me bound,
But this new love cuts so deep.
If I choose now, I'm bound to lose out;
One of you is gonna have to fall...
I need you, baby.

Kurt was so nervous that he closed his eyes on the last few notes. He was scared of what he'd see when looked at Dave. He was mostly scared that he wouldn't' see anything.

Opening his eyes to the thunderous applause, he prepared to face the boy he'd sung to.

A quick scan of the room revealed to him that he didn't have to worry about Dave's reaction.

He wasn't there.