Author's note: Thank you to all of you who have added this to your alerts. Once again, I hope each chapter is satisfactory. Feel free to review if there's anything you don't like and think I should work on.

My best friend actresswithoutastage has been very helpful with this and I encourage all of you lovely readers to go and check out her Glee stuff if you haven't already.

Happy reading!

Chapter Four

Dave stood by his car for a long time before he actually got in. He'd only had two beers in the time that he'd been in the club. That compared with his weight would mean that he should be alright to drive. But he stood there taking stock of his body and his surroundings.

It wouldn't be so bad if his father wasn't friends with so many cops. But since he was, he had to be extra careful. He went through all the motions to make sure of his sobriety.

When he finally got into his car, he sat there for a long time. This was for different reasons than the standing around. He was replaying the flinch in his mind.

What was wrong with Sebastian? What had happened in his past to scare him like that? Was he abused at home? Or was it more of a possibility that he had been involved in abusive relationships?

He was rather scrappy. Maybe he got into fights. Maybe he always lost.

He started his car. "Maybe it's not any of my damn business."

He started driving, still thinking about the flinching. Was the other guy in danger? Should he find out where he lived and make sure he got home safely?

No one had ever made Dave feel like this: this worry. What was the point when he couldn't let people know about him? Not even the popular cheerleaders made him seem to care. Not even as people.

He was always watching his back and his actions. Was that move too "gay"? Was I too obvious when I checked that guy out? Am I acting "butch" enough?

He gripped the steering wheel tightly and gritted his teeth. Why was it that Sebastian made him not care about those things? If they went to the same school…

"Like that matters! No one can know." He said to himself.

But he wanted so desperately to get it off his chest sometimes. If he and Sebastian were together… No. It couldn't work. Mostly because Sebastian was too arrogant. He wasn't sure if he could deal with that.

Could he?

He pulled in to the driveway to his house. All the lights were out except for the porch light. At least his dad cared enough to do that for him.

Dave let himself inside and started toward his room.

His dad Paul stepped out, "You're a half hour past curfew, David."

"Sorry, Dad. It won't happen again." He said dismissively.

"It had better not. I was worried."

"I'm sorry, Dad." He said again.

"You could have been dead and I wouldn't have known."

"You would have known. You have plenty of friends in high places." He brushed past and went to his room.

He followed. "I'm not done talking to you, David."

Dave opened his door. "Dad, what's with the freak out? You usually don't care."

"Yeah, well, I do. Even if it didn't seem like it, I do care. I just don't know how to deal with you."

"I haven't gotten into any fights since I transferred. My grades are better. So I'm a half hour late for curfew a couple nights, I'm not out committing any crimes. I'm just let off some steam."

He nodded. "I know." He shifted uncomfortably. "Joe down at the force…"

"What about him?"

Paul sighed, "He said he saw your car parked out at that gay club. Controversy?"

Dave shrugged, "I don't know what he'd be talking about. I, um, was hanging out with friends in the complete opposite direction. And I think the club is called Scandals."

He gave his son a critical look. "What friends?"

He rattled off a few random names. He probably wouldn't check it out. But if he did, Dave knew he wouldn't find anything amiss. All his "friends" did live on the opposite end of town and there was a party at one of them almost every night. They always got too drunk to remember much about who was there and who wasn't.

Paul nodded. "Okay. Well, next time, don't be late. And call if there's some good reason you are."

"Will do, Dad." He closed his door and started getting ready for bed.

As he settled in, he thought some more about Sebastian. All the pain he kept bottled up inside as he tried to hide his true feelings was the same as what he saw in Sebastian. He was trying to be someone he wasn't. And in that process, he was starting to lose himself.

Could Dave fix that? Did he even want to open that can of worms? Sebastian was rich. And as many connections in law enforcement as Paul had, Mr. Smythe might have those connections with state senate and congress people. What type of wrath could be brought down on him if he even tried to contact Sebastian?

He rolled over and stared at the picture of his family that sat on his bedside table. If only his mom were still around, he thought, would she be someone he could talk to? Would she accept him if she knew the truth?

She had always been so kind and accepting. He knew she'd want to help Sebastian. He'd inherited her compassion. After her death, all that had gone out the window because he couldn't deal with her loss and the acceptance of his sexuality all at the same time.

He was sure that's why he'd focused everything on Kurt. Kurt was everything he wasn't. Kurt oozed confidence. Kurt knew who he was. There were still days Dave still wasn't sure.