Author's note: *rubs hands gleefully*
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Everything continues as normal. He tells his dad about punching Sebastian and he can tell his dad is torn between congratulating him and telling him violence is not an answer. He accepts the shoulder squeeze for what it is and carries on. At school he deliberately seeks out Blaine and tells him as well and they share tight sad smiles. The fear he thought would never fade is no longer an ever present dark cloud in his mind, and he can tell by the urge to hug Blaine that he's healing emotionally.
A couple of weeks pass, and Dave doesn't mention anything about suddenly having a boyfriend, so he's not sure if he's read the situation wrong, or whether Dave truly wouldn't tell him because he doesn't want Kurt to feel left out. They've hung out as a group once, and he hadn't seen anything that made him think they were a couple, but Nathan had kept looking between him and Dave and smiling, and he's pretty sure he's missing something.
He arranges to meet Mercedes for lunch at the mall but heads there early, wanting to have a good look around for any bargains, or ideas for clothes he can perhaps make himself. He likes the therapeutic nature of sewing, although he does end up swearing and cursing at the machine more often than not. He's coming out of a store when he almost hits a solid wall of…
"Terence. Hi."
"Hey Kurt. Out shopping?"
"Window shopping mainly. You?"
"My little sister wanted a ride. I'm just killing time until she's ready to leave. It might be hours."
He grins at the evident pain in Terence's voice. He's not spent any real time with him, from what he gathers they have nothing in common except their mutual friendship with Dave. However he seems like a nice enough guy. One that sent him flowers, which reminds him.
"Thank you for sending the flowers. Unnecessary. But appreciated nonetheless."
"Unnecessary? To try and get Dave moving? Nothing will get him moving, except maybe a hot poker up his ass. I mean… uh. I… we…"
He seems embarrassed by his language but Kurt frowns, remembering Dave mentioning how both Nathan and Terence sent him flowers because they thought Dave liked him…
"Well, I think you got it a bit wrong. Dave seems perfectly happy making his moves on Nathan, so we'll just leave them to it…" Kurt says, and he knows he's digging a little bit, because if anyone knows if they're a couple then it will be Terence. Except all he's doing is looking confused.
"Nathan Nathan? Huh?"
"Mmm. I saw them cuddling up on the sofa a couple of weeks ago when I went round to Dave's."
"Uh… I think you might be imagining things. I mean, I know Nathan has like no personal boundaries with people he trusts, but, uh… whatever you saw probably isn't what you think you saw."
"It's okay, Dave told me about Nathan."
"Told you what?"
"That Nathan's gay…"
"Uh. No he isn't."
"But Dave said… well, he implied that he was gay."
"Really? How did he do that exactly?"
"Um…" he casts his mind back, trying to remember what it was Dave said exactly. "He said that one of the straight guys wasn't actually straight…"
"And what, you just assumed it was Nate huh?"
The look on Terence's face is odd, and he doesn't really get it, and then…
"Oh. Oh. You?" Terence shrugs, looking away, and he snaps his mouth closed and blinks. He hadn't been expecting that. At all. That kind of changes everything. "I… I think I need a coffee. Join me?"
"Why not?" Terence waves a hand in the direction of the cafe and he leads the way, ordering a coffee and a muffin so he has something to do with his hands before selecting a quiet corner table at the back. When Terence slides into the chair opposite him, legs scrunching up he immediately offers to switch seats so Terence can actually sit comfortably, as opposed to looking like he's trying to cover his ears with his knees. They sit in silence for a couple of minutes, and he has a few questions he wants to ask, but he doesn't want to offend Terence.
"So, I gather you aren't out at school?"
"Nope. Two whole people know now, not even Nate knows."
"I… really?" Terence nods and he feels touched that this guy, who is pretty much a stranger to him, trusts him so implicitly.
"Let's just say my family won't take it well. At all. We can't all be as lucky as Dave."
"Or me. My dad's pretty fantastic. My whole family is."
"You're lucky. So…"
Kurt laughs, because he's pretty sure they've just exhausted their limited topics of conversation already.
"Yeah, so."
"How long have you been friends with Dave?"
"Friends? Um. Interesting question. A few months now I suppose."
"Wait. I thought you guys were friends from when he went to McKinley."
Kurt bites his lip, Dave had told him he'd shared all his reasons for leaving McKinley, but he guesses maybe Terence wasn't listening, or didn't believe him.
"Dave definitely wasn't a friend. He was more like my tormentor. You have any bullies in your school?"
"Yeah. You mean Dave actually really bullied you? Why?"
"Why do you think?" Kurt asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh shit. That's screwed up."
"Hmm. Maybe. Common enough though."
"What changed? You guys seem pretty tight, but I guess your history explains why Dave isn't making a move despite how much he obviously likes you."
"What?"
"You haven't noticed?"
"Noticed what?"
"The way he looks at you. Like… it's kind of sad now that I think of it, because maybe he think you'd never be interested because he used to bully you."
Kurt shakes his head automatically. It's been over a year and a half since Dave bullied him, they've overcome that, but…
"It's not just that."
He hasn't talked about that night in a long time now, but he decides to share the facts with Terence. Sharing something equally personal and private in return, although he had never planned to. Terence doesn't interrupt, or exclaim, or say anything, face impassive up until the point when he mentions how he punched Sebastian and then it's done and Terence slides his coffee across the table and he takes a long sip, hands shaking slightly.
"You ever think about doing a self defense class?"
"What?"
"Self defense. Or martial arts. Might help. If you're interested you could come and try it out. Could teach you some tricks."
"What?" Kurt repeats and Terence looks amused.
"I'm a member of a club. Karate. There's a whole range of classes, from kids only five years old to grandparents."
"Oh…"
"Here, let me give you the club card. It isn't a quick fix. Training is something you have to do regularly so it becomes second nature, but it will help build your confidence, maybe make you feel more in control."
"Thanks. I'll think about it. Really."
He doesn't know if it will help, but it isn't a stupid idea, and the idea of being able to stop something happening in the future, if he knows what to do…
"So, do you like him?"
"Who?" Kurt asks, bringing his mind back to the small café.
"Dave."
"I…" he recalls seeing Dave in his tight t-shirt, the way he is with Adam and Lily, the way he had felt thinking he was with Nathan. "Yes. Despite everything in our past. Yes."
"Hmm. Lucky Dave," Terence states, and the small smile Terence gives him makes him blush as he realizes the mild compliment behind Terence's words.
The end up sitting there for over an hour, discussing what they study at school, Dave, the clothes of the people as they enter the café, Dave. He can't seem to stop the conversation from swinging back to him and maybe he should really be talking to Dave instead.
"You know, you should come to our hockey game tomorrow afternoon."
"What? Why?"
"Because you get to watch a bunch of guys armed with sticks smack into each other?"
"That's not swaying me," Kurt retorts dryly.
"Please? Just one game? Dave'll be there."
"Shockingly, I am aware that he plays hockey."
"Look… you like him. He likes you. You know that hot poker I mentioned earlier? It's going to be me."
"I don't know what kind of conversation I just walked in on, but I really don't want to know. Hi. I'm Mercedes."
"Terence."
"He's one of Dave's friends at Carmel. We've just been talking. Okay. So, I think… tomorrow sounds good. I'll see you then?"
"Sure. Catch you later Kurt."
"Later."
Mercedes loops an arm through his as they walk out, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder.
"He's cute."
"Yeah. He is." But not as cute as Dave he adds silently.
LSY
He showers and changes with the rest of the team after the game, actually glad to know that he's not the only gay guy there as there's general back slapping and horsing around. They didn't win, but he knows he still played a good game. The other team were just better. He dries and dresses quickly, slinging all his gear into his bag and waiting for Terence to do the same. As they exit back through to the rink Terence is looking around and then he waves, and he thinks for a second that it's Kurt. Then he knows it's Kurt, striding towards them, jacket tucked tight around his body, scarf actually wrapped around his neck as opposed to artfully draped and what the fuck?
"Kurt, you… did you just watch a hockey game?" My hockey game?
"Yes. I have to say my first instinct that I wouldn't like it proved true."
"But… why?"
"I invited him," Terence states. "We had coffee yesterday, and I convinced him to come along."
Oh. He looks between them, Kurt looking bemused and shaking his head slightly and Terence looking pleased about something. Oh. His stomach sinks and he's sure his heart does something pathetic as break a little.
Well fuck.