These chapters are going wild! This is not at all what I had planned for this one either. It's a little angsty, but I hope you like it anyway. Here is wishing our boys good luck on Prom Night! (And to chocolate cheerios and the best summer of our lives!) I love you guys, you inspire me. Look for straight up rolling around on the floor, gushy, weepy, lovey dovey, emotional fluff in the next chapter!

For probably the first time in his life; at least since Kurt had known him, Puck was speechless. His eyes; glazed over with shock and disbelief, darted back and forth between Kurt's tear stained cheeks and stunned expression, to Dave's hesitant smile and steady gaze.

And then; in typical Puck fashion, he put two and two together and got seven.

"Are you serious right now, Karofsky? We bring you here, out of concern for your well being, and you take this opportunity to make fun of my boy, Kurt? I knew you hadn't changed. You're still the same meathead jock that used to push him into lockers…oh boy, was I right to not fully trust you"

Kurt couldn't hold back the laughter that bubbled up at Puck's outraged tone. He felt as if this situation couldn't get more surreal. First they stage this ridiculous intervention; then Dave declares his love for Kurt, essentially outing himself to the group, which in turn prompts Puck to mistakenly defend Kurt's honor.

Kurt had heard the expression 'comedy of errors' before, but this was the first time he'd ever witnessed it. He felt like he had been unwittingly cast in a really bad after school special.

Unfortunately for him; the laughter that he'd been unable to hold back at Puck's speech, became intermingled with his tears and came out sounding more like a sob, than the chuckle that it was.

Puck was out of his chair in an instant, rage darkening his features. He stalked aggressively towards Dave, clearly intending to engage the other boy in some kind of brawl. Dave; after a second's surprise, backed his chair up and got to his feet.

Then; in the most melodramatic voice Kurt had ever heard anyone use; (and he'd seen a lot of bad theater, so that was really saying something) Puck spoke.

"The circle of trust has been broken".

Everything descended into chaos. Puck dived for Dave; only to be held back by Sam and Mike, who were yelling at him to chill and remember that he was on probation. At some point Artie had wheeled around and he was now ramming his chair into the back of Dave's legs. Finn was trying to grab the back of Artie's chair, his expression less suspicious than the others. He was probably remembering that first night. The night when Kurt had talked to Dave for three hours on his phone. Dave stood in the middle of the storm; trying to keep his temper and his balance, a bewildered expression on his face.

And though they were surrounded by chaos, and Dave was in actual danger of being hurt, for one moment, in the middle of it all, everything fell away and it was just the two of them. Their eyes locked across the melee and Kurt couldn't help but lose his breath.

Puck's reaction aside; the current state of chaos aside, Dave had just told him…told everyone… that he loved him. Him. Kurt Hummel.

No one had ever loved him before. At least; not like that.

He didn't know how to process it, how to take it in.

For Kurt, the last five years of his life, the years since he'd really come to know and accept who and what he was, had been a time hallmarked by rejection, disgust, and loneliness. Any boy he'd liked had been disgusted at the idea of being with another boy. Any boy he'd shown interest in had rejected him. He was surrounded by a loving family and wonderful friends, but he'd always been so alone.

Until now.

Until this brave, handsome, tough boy had sat across from him and told him that he dreamed of him; and that he needed him, and that everything beautiful reminded him of Kurt.

And he'd said that he was in love.

In love with Kurt.

My God.

Kurt scrubbed at the fresh tears that were trailing down his cheeks and took a deep breath.

He needed to intervene in this intervention.

"Guys, guys! Listen to me."

At the sound of Kurt's voice; which was surprisingly authoritative, the chaos ground to a halt. Shaking his head, Kurt smiled ruefully at his friends.

"I need you guys to come and sit down, please….if you care about me at all, you'll sit down"

Reluctantly each boy disengaged from their fighting positions and returned to their seats, dragging their chairs into a circle. Kurt got the feeling that he'd broken up a party, rather than stopping a potentially dangerous fight, from the disappointed looks on most of their faces.

Straight boys were so strange. Now there was a subject that needed a manual. Knowing women they probably already had one written. Kurt made a mental note to ask Mercedes t he next time he saw her.

Reining his thoughts back in, he paused for a minute, wanting to make sure that he said the right thing.

Dave's declaration of love had been beautiful. It had been the most beautiful thing anyone had ever said to him and Kurt knew that he would remember that moment forever. It was the moments that followed which concerned him. Yeah; his friends were just trying to defend him, but their actions were probably pretty similar to what Dave would experience when he came out. And Kurt didn't know if the other boy was ready for that. Didn't want to see him hurt, physically or emotionally.

He had to give him an out.

Taking a deep breath, he smiled nervously, hoping that he would be convincing enough.

"Umm…guys, I can't tell you how much it means to me that you are all so willing to defend me. I'd completely want you to have my back in a fight. Or during the Black Friday sales at Abercrombie and Fitch. My God, I didn't think I'd get out alive last year..."

Kurt; seeing the uniform looks of confusion, hurried to the next part of his speech. The important part.

"I don't know if you misunderstood, but I didn't hear Dave making fun of me. I didn't hear Dave say anything that was even about me. As a matter of fact; I didn't want to say anything, but I know who he is talking about. The person he is in love with. "

Five sets of puzzled eyes looked at him questioningly. The hazel ones, the eyes that he loved, at first looked confused. Then a sort of dawning awareness touched their depths.

Meeting his gaze, Kurt tried to say so much. Tried to make him understand what he was doing and why. He couldn't bare to see Dave in pain. He wanted Dave to come out; he knew that the other boy needed to. But on his own time frame, when he was ready. Not because he'd slipped up in a silly intervention. Which was why Kurt needed to say what he was about to say.

He was going to protect him the only way he knew how.

"Umm...Dave and I have tried to talk and all, kind of bury the hatchet, since he came back to Glee. You know, for the good of the club. Well, the other day he was telling me about this girl he met last summer. She's from…from Boston. She's the one he is in love with."

Stumbling to a finish, Kurt was gratified to see the majority of the group was nodding their heads. Their world; so briefly turned upside down was righting itself. Dave hadn't said he loved Kurt. He hadn't come out to the group. They all must have misunderstood. He was frustrated by a long distance relationship. They all could understand that.

Only Finn and Puck appeared to continue to be suspicious. But Finn; with a shrug of his shoulders, seemed to let go of whatever thought he might have had.

Puck; with several glances back and forth between the boys, was reading Kurt's nervous but matter of fact veneer, and Dave's lowered gaze and lack of response to Kurt's claims. Whatever he saw must have convinced him.

With a muttered and clearly reluctant apology to Dave, he picked up his stack of note cards; which somehow had survived the chaos intact, and began to shuffle through them. Kurt looked at Dave, willing him to raise his eyes, willing him to celebrate what had been a close call. Willing him to tell him that he'd done the right thing.

But he wouldn't look up.

Several painful minutes passed; with Puck consulting his note cards, the other boys yawning and checking their watches and Kurt; desperately trying to catch Dave's attention.

Clearing his throat, Puck began to speak.

"Sorry about the confusion. Now, our next step is to…"

But they never got to the next step.

Because Dave looked up.

And in his eyes was an agony so terrible that Kurt felt it like a punch to the stomach. His abdominal muscles tightened, so visceral was his reaction.

He wasn't the only one who could see the pain in Dave's eyes.

The heavy, charged silence of the earlier intervention fell over the group again.

Puck put down his note cards.

Clearing his throat, trying hard to keep his voice from shaking, Dave spoke, his voice a hollow whisper.

"Are y...you….are you ashamed of me?"

Kurt was shaking his head before the question even finished.

If he'd been able to focus on anything other than the boy he loved; the boy who was suffering so much, he would have seen the renewed shock on the faces of the other group members.

Apparently, they'd hadn't misunderstood after all.

Kurt was realizing that; in trying to protect Dave, he'd hit on his biggest insecurity. That he wasn't worthy of Kurt's love and that Kurt would leave him when he realized that. Kurt's hurried attempt at a cover up had come across as a rejection.

Kurt couldn't find the words to say. Didn't know what reassurance would take away the terrible pain from his boyfriend's eyes.

There didn't seem words strong enough.

So; wrapping his arms around himself; he slipped out of his chair and walked across the circle of trust.

And kneeling down in front of the only boy he'd ever loved, he reached his arms up, pulling Dave's head down to his, whispering in his ear.

"We seem to have a problem locating the lockers, but…I'll make you a deal. If you promise to kiss me until I can't breathe right here, I promise to share this as my favorite memory at your next intervention"

Dave smiled, his lips only inches from the other boy's.

"Deal"