I resisted the urge to leave this with a cliffhanger. I guess someone has been a good influence on me. (y sabes quien eres) Thank you all so much for your reviews. I have had the craziest week and each review has been very much appreciated. Even though Glee has left Dave hanging for the summer, we have all summer to dream up our world of Kurtofsky! I'm so excited! P.S.- jekyllhj7- please don't strangle me!

"Kurt…I've missed you. I…I…didn't know how much I'd miss you. I've been so lost without you"

Kurt; disoriented from the sheer physical joy of being held close to the boy he loved, almost couldn't focus on what the other boy was saying. Even though he needed to know what had kept Dave away.

He'd told himself that this was what he had come for. Dave's words. His explanation. His apology.

But he'd been lying to himself

He'd come for this. For the unbearable bliss of feeling his boyfriend's strong arms wrapped around him. For the unshakable peace that came from being held close to the boy he loved.

He needed him. God, he needed Dave so badly. He hadn't realized it; or let himself fully remember. He couldn't walk away from this boy. He wouldn't recover. But…what about Dave?

Why had it been so easy for him to walk away? If he'd been "so lost" with Kurt, why hadn't he called? Or texted? Or facebooked? Or sent a message by freaking currier pigeon?

And suddenly all of the frustration and anger that had propelled him to come to Dave's house resurfaced and just as quickly as he'd fallen into Dave's arms, he pushed his way out of them. Scrambling off the bed he took a few steps back; his unclad feet skidding along the hardwood floors.

"What the hell, Karofsky? You tell me that you've missed me, that you've been lost without me? I've been a call away. Or a text. Or a facebook message. I've been to 11 different countries since I last saw you; but ask me a question about any of them. I won't be able to answer. I might have just as well been sleeping, for as much attention as I paid. All I knew is that I was far from you, and I hadn't heard even a single word, and when I came home today, and you ha...hadn't called, and y...you…hadn't texted…I…I…I "

Dave; who'd sat up in the bed upon Kurt's rapid departure, made a move as if to speak. Kurt held him off with one hand; sobs temporarily robbing him of the power of speech. Why was he crying again,dammit? It felt like he'd cried a million tears since he'd been with Dave. Weren't relationships supposed to make you happy? Pulling in several deep breaths, he tried again.

"When I came home and you hadn't contacted me…I felt more alone and far from home then I had a continent away. And my heart wa...was…broken."

Dave visibly flinched, his already pale face whitening to a harsh degree. Kurt could tell that he was inflicting pain on the other boy. Good. Let him feel a little of the sorrow he'd put Kurt through.

Feeling a surge of renewed anger at Dave's obvious discomfort, Kurt decided to twist the knife a little deeper.

"I don't know why I even came here tonight. Pleading with you to listen to me. I know how close you came to saying nothing. To letting me walk away. What kind of boyfriend does that? I feel like I'm crying every day. You're singing me love songs one minute and avoiding my calls the next."

Seeing Dave's big; though much leaner frame begin to tremble, Kurt felt a pang of conscience. Then he remembered all those days in Europe, days when he hadn't even wanted to get off the bus. Hadn't cared what country they were in; what city. All he'd needed was one word from Dave. One facebook message saying "I'm ok, talk to you soon". That's all he had needed.

But he hadn't gotten it. And instead, he'd walked through the museums and castles and streets, seeing Dave's face everywhere. There was no excuse for what he had done, and no amount of loving words could undue the pain he'd cause Kurt.

Not that Kurt wasn't going to forgive him. He couldn't walk away from this boy.

He just needed Dave to know that he'd hurt him so badly that there had been times he felt like he couldn't breathe.

He'd been about to open his mouth to speak and deliver another cutting diatribe when he made himself really look at Dave. The other boy hadn't made a sound all through Kurt's impassioned speech, but he looked like he'd just lost his most important possession and his breathing was shaky. His trembling arms seemed incapable of supporting his upper body. Whatever it was that Dave had been doing over the last 23 days, it hadn't been enjoying summer vacation; without a care in the world. Dave was clearly tired and miserable.

Seeing Dave suffer; it drained away any lingering anger. Heaving a sigh, Kurt got back into the bed, unashamedly climbing into Dave's arms. Running his hands over the other boy's back; he murmured quiet, nonsense words, waiting for the shaking breaths to cease; waiting for Dave to take a chance to speak.

But he didn't speak. Didn't utter one word. Not in explanation of why he hadn't contacted the other boy; nor in defense of himself against Kurt's harshly delivered criticisms.

Kurt pulled his body back; allowing the other boy a little space. Tilting his face up; he tried to read what he found there.

His face was once again inscrutable. It was as blank as a fresh sheet of notebook paper. It was clear he was trying to hide something. Desperately trying.

If he'd pleaded with Dave before; he was begging him now.

"Please, baby. Please tell me what's wrong. Why didn't you call me? Are your parents sending you to one of those reorientation camps? Are they very mad?"

Dave didn't speak, but he shook his head decisively. Kurt couldn't help but feel his spirits lift. At least Dave's parents weren't raging homophobes. That couldn't be anything but a good thing.

"Are you in some kind of trouble? Are you moving? Are you giving girls another try?"

Dave shook his head curtly to all three, not showing any response to Kurt's weak attempt at humor.

Just when he despaired of hearing anything from the other boy, just when he decided that it didn't matter, as long as they were together now, Dave spoke. His voice was husky; and tinged with the slightest hint of desperation.

"I can't tell you, Kurt. I never wanted to have to tell you"

Kurt drew in a horrified breath.

"Is it the clap? "

This time his humor hit its mark and he managed to elicit a weak chuckle from the other boy. Pulling Kurt close, he laid them back down on the bed. They lay as they had moments ago. Wrapped up in each others arms. Face to face. The blue eyes meeting the hazel. Swallowing audibly, Dave spoke, his voice solemn.

"Do you remember that day by the lake? The last day we were together?"

Kurt lips curved into a smile of remembrance.

"Every minute"

Dave's answering smile sent the now familiar rush of joy through him. Only this time it wasn't enough to override his nerves.

What was Dave going to tell him?

"I...I kept you out late that night for a reason. Not just because I wanted to spend all afternoon and evening with you; though I did and I loved every single second of it. I kept you out because I was avoiding something. Something I didn't want to have to face"

Kurt's eyes widened. And suddenly he knew. He knew and the pain of knowing exploded through his body. He started hyperventilating, his heart racing uncontrollably, gasping for air.

Dave pulled him even closer, rubbing his back.

"Shh…Shhh…its ok, baby. Take some deep breaths. Kurt, baby...you've got to breath"

Eventually Kurt was calm enough to control his breathing. But he couldn't speak

He didn't want to say it. If he said it, then it would be real.

But where he'd lost his bravery, Dave had found his. His hazel eyes unblinking; he smiled gently; pushing Kurt's disheveled hair off of his forehead.

Then he said those words that Kurt knew were coming, but somehow still wasn't ready to hear.

"Kurt…I'm sick"

Kurt thought he'd prepared himself to actually hear Dave say it, but he hadn't. His stomach began heaving and he scrambled out of Dave's arms; covering his mouth with his hand.

He was going to be sick.

Dave stayed with him while he cast up everything in his stomach, kneeling over the toilet bowl. He gently bathed Kurt's flushed face, and given him a new toothbrush to brush his teeth with. He'd even slipped downstairs to get him a ginger ale.

The ginger ale revived him. Revived him enough that he could sit calmly through Dave's announcement that; after following his parents home, they'd told him the news he'd been dreading. That his tests results had come back. That his polycystic kidney disease had finally reached stage five. That he'd have to be on dialysis until and if a kidney transplant could be located. He'd started the very next day. He explained his sudden defection, his words tearing at Kurt's heart.

"I knew it could come to this. But I kept praying it wouldn't. I could be on dialysis for years. There's no telling how long it will take to find a match. That's 4 hours a day, every day in dialysis; which is not fun at all. It's a strict schedule and a strict diet and I feel overwhelmed by it all. I won't put you through that. I love you too much to burden you with my problems"

The last words he spoke in a fierce whisper, his face set. Clearly he'd put a lot of thought into this decision.

For the first time since he'd entered the room he heard it; Dave's music. The iPod was playing "You and Me" again. It probably had been the whole time, only Kurt hadn't heard it. He heard it now.

Setting down his glass, he walked over to the desk chair where Dave had stationed himself. Looking into Dave's beautiful eyes, his expression solemn, Kurt; unable to keep the tremor out of his voice, held out his hand.

"May I have the honor of this dance?"

And they waltzed. Like nothing had changed. Like the last three weeks and 2 days hadn't changed their relationship. Like the last 20 minutes hadn't changed the world.

And right before the song ended, before Dave could pull away and try to protect him, as he'd been trying to do all these weeks, Kurt held his face between his hands, and looked him directly in the eye. Then he spoke, his voice just as fierce as Dave's whisper of a moment ago.

"It's you and me, babe. As long as I am living, you will not be alone. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you. I'm going to get my kidneys tested tomorrow to see if they are a match. I'm going to dialysis with you every day. If I have to feed you, I will feed you. If I have to bathe you, I will bathe you. If I have to read you sporting magazines, I will do it. As painful as it will be. Don't you ever say to me that you love me too much to burden me again. I love you too much to walk away. Nothing means more to me than you. Nothing. Do you hear me, Karofsky? "

A small hint of his former confident smile on his lips, Dave spoke.

"I hear you, Hummel. Is there any way I can get a preview of that whole bathing thing? I've got a shower right here..."

Laughing, he dodged Kurt's rapidly smacking hands, sprinting out of his reach. Kurt stood by the bed, tapping his shoeless foot, an expression of resignation on his face, huffing impatiently as Dave continued to shake with laughter.

It took him a minute to realize that Dave wasn't laughing anymore. He reached him just as Dave fell to his knees. Sinking down next to him; he huddled him close. Not willing to let go of each other for even a second, they stumbled to the bed, still in each others arms.

And for the first time in 3 weeks and 2 days, they slept peacefully.