Author's note: I have really enjoyed writing the last few chapter (from Valentine's Day onwards), solely because I have had these events stuck in my head since the beginning of "Into the Light" and to FINALLY get here, well, it's just as much of a relief to me as it is for you. I have no idea how many chapters there are left to go and there is a fair bit I still have planned out in my head.

Thanks for all the reviews – they are lovely. (I have no idea if I have replied to them or not – I loose track and then I reply twice to some and then not at all to others and then I wonder whether you even want a reply or if you just want me to focus on writing…)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

His hand is still raised in farewell long after Kurt has driven off and he heads back inside, still feeling a little out of touch with reality and a bit shocked. He must be grinning though, because Claire raises and eyebrow and places a hand on her hip.

"Well, someone is in a much better mood."

"I, yeah. Sorry about that."

"Mmm. Want to share the reason you're suddenly a little ray of sunshine?"

"Ah, well, Kurt's my boyfriend now."

He grins and ducks his head, because while he might have fantasized in his head a couple of times he never imagined that he might actually be able to say that and have it be the truth.

"And this is a new development?" She actually sounds honestly curious and it draws him out of his musings completely.

"I – of course!"

"Oh. I wondered if maybe you were together and just not telling anyone."

"No. No, we've just been friends, but now…"

The weight of what they are crashes down around him; him with his not-quite-out status, Kurt and whatever issues he might still need to deal with and then their combined history and fucking hell, this already seems too difficult. No. He won't let himself think like that. Anything really worthwhile has to be worked at right? Kurt's more than worth it.

"Dave? David?"

"Sorry, what?"

"I was asking if you were alright, because you went all pale for a second there…"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just…"

"A little freaked out? You kind of look a little freaked out."

"Thanks Claire." She grins and pats him on the shoulder, eyes crinkling as she tells him it's her pleasure. He rolls his eyes and heads further inside the house.

The next day at school he punches Terence on the arm, not holding back any force and he glares at him before breaking in to a big grin.

"Thanks man. I obviously had my head up my ass."

"Well, you definitely had something stuck up there. I mean, the rate you were moving I was pretty sure it was both your legs, but whatever man…"

"I couldn't move fast. It's Kurt. And uh…" he shifts on his feet, unwilling to share with Terence exactly why he's been so hesitant about even thinking about dating Kurt.

"He told me about what happened. With his ex and stuff."

"He did?"

"Yep."

"Huh. That's… good I guess." And it isgood. That Kurt is talking about it, is able to talk about it, and actually, now that he thinks about it, if Kurt is happy hanging out with Terence, then he should be more than okay hanging out with him. Then he realizes that Kurt has been hanging out with him for months with no problems. He grins slowly, warmth spreading through him.

"Yeah, now I just need to get a girl all lined up for me."

Dave frowns, confused, then the heavy weight of a hand slapping his back has him stiffening, turning to see Carl looking at them both and he immediately understands.

"Ladies. What are you two gossiping about?"

"Chicks," Terence deadpans.

"Oh, you finally going to get some honey from Honey huh?"

Dave rolls his eyes but swallows heavily, suddenly nervous at the wide-eyed fear in Terence's eyes and he remembers being in that place, and he tries to convey telepathically that everything will be okay.

"As I said before Honey is… lovely. But really not my type."

"Oh Dave, that's nice of you to say," he feels a hug from behind and then she's stepping around him. "I knew we could be friends. Now, Terence, would you mind walking me to class?"

Terence opens his mouth to say something but snaps it shuts and nods, taking her books from her without any prompting. The look in his eyes is no less fear-filled though, although for a different reason this time and Dave has to choke back the snorts of laughter at what Honey's possible response will be if she ever finds out that Terence is also gay.

"Your loss man, that is one fine piece of ass," Carl states, head cocked to the side as he watches them walk away.

LSY

He keeps it to himself for about a day, mulling it over in his head and swinging between delight and dread. He needs to tell his dad, and his friends, but he isn't exactly sure how to word it. He knows that Dave is definitely considered a friend of his now, but he doesn't know if the transition from friend to boyfriend will be okay with his dad. He's still internally wavering about it himself. Well, not wavering exactly, but he doesn't want to think about it too hard just incase he freaks out. He likes Dave, knows he finds him attractive at a base level, but the idea of doing anything more than sitting beside him on the sofa makes him feel a little panicky. Despite his relationship with Blaine he feels like everything is new, a bit scary and unknown.

He realizes then that Dave probably feels the same way, and giving it some more thought he knows Dave has always been mindful of his feelings. Even when they were just starting out as friends he'd noted Dave was always careful not to crowd him. He relaxes a bit, thinking about that, knowing he won't have to spell everything out, that Dave is perceptive enough. He feels more confident about it when he steps into his dad's garage.

"Hey Kurt, what are you doing here? Everything okay?"

"Hey dad. I just… need to tell you something."

"Okay," his dad says, drawing the word out slowly, as if he knows it's something Kurt doesn't really especially want to tell him.

"I – " have a new boyfriend? Dave is my boyfriend now? "So, yes, my friendship with Dave, it's…"

"He finally ask you out huh?"

"What?"

"That boy looks at you like you hung the moon, although I didn't know if you knew it. I figured you weren't ready to start anything new."

"I don't know if I'm ready now…"

His dad just looks at him, face tense and screw the grease, he just goes and hugs him.

"I'm okay dad. I'm fine."

He gets a grunt and a quick responding hug before arms drop away and his dad steps back.

"Yes well, at least David already knows what I'm capable of."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Just… I might have scared him about giving you crap last year."

"What! Dad!"

"What! I had to do something… but he seems to have really changed."

"I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't truly believe that Dave has changed. Carmel is better for him I think."

His dad nods and Kurt tells him he'll see him at dinner. It's Cake Tuesday, and he won't drop in unannounced at Dave and Azimio's bonding time, although the idea of just turning up for dinner tomorrow night suddenly seems like a much bigger deal than it should be. He's been having dinner with Dave and his family weekly for over three months, surely suddenly renaming their relationship shouldn't change that?

LSY

"Hey Hummel! Wait up!"

He recognizes Azimio's voice and stops, turning to face him, and in the past seeing Azimio running toward him would have engaged his flight reaction but instead now he just waits.

"Someone told me last night that you and him have hooked up. I just wanted to, you know, give you the hard word."

"Okay then. Consider the hard word taken."

"I mean it Kurt, don't mess with him. I know we're cool and all that, but you mess him up I mess you up. Okay?"

He doesn't imagine that Azimio would actually do anything more harmful to him that he hasn't already done, but he nods anyway, and god, he hopes he doesn't mess Dave up. The day passes uneventfully and before he knows it he's in front of Dave's front door. He knows it's unlocked, that all he has to do is open it and step inside, but he feels unaccountably nervous. The door opens, saving him from deliberating longer and Dave is standing there, looking equal parts nervous and amused.

"Come on, they're having a spaghetti fight."

"I, really? And Claire's letting them?"

And like that the nerves just dissipate. He unwraps his scarf from his neck and hangs it on the hook which he deems his and follows Dave through to the kitchen, where Lily and Adam are sitting in their highchairs, clutching a spoon in one hand and cooked spaghetti in the other, waving it around excitedly when they see him. Thankfully there's no sauce to be flung around, although there's enough mess that he knows Dave will have to mop the floor.

"Hi Kurt."

"Hi Claire. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. But I think it's a permanent state of being now," she grins.

He tries to look sympathetic, but really he has no idea how parenthood and pregnancy work in practice.

"You guys look like you're having fun. Making a big mess for your brother to clean up," Kurt says to the twins, looking up and grinning at Dave only to have his stomach do a little flip at the shy smile Dave is aiming his way. His insides flutter nervously and he smoothes his hair before slapping his hand down to his side, swallowing and then letting out a slow breath. He glances at Dave again to find him with his head ducked and he's pretty sure he might even be blushing and he can hear Claire laughing at them, so apparently they are as awkward and amusing as they look. Great.

"I'll leave these two here as chaperones and go start the bath."

She leaves laughing, which doesn't do anything to make him feel less embarrassed but Dave passes him a warm cloth, and the easy routine of wiping sticky hands, faces and feet makes him relax slightly, and he's glad he didn't give in to the impulse to dress up before coming around. He starts on the high chairs while Dave gets a dustpan and shovel and starts picking up the pieces off the floor. Usually they'd be talking about their days at school, but he is usually the one to start the conversation and today he just feels all tongue-tied.

"So, I'm pretty sure Honey is eyeing up Terence."

His head snaps around at the quiet words and a slow grin breaks out on both their faces.

"Oh no… poor Terence. Poor Honey. Is it weird that I feel bad for a girl I've never met?"

Dave shakes his head.

"No, I felt kind of bad for her yesterday. Felt worse for Terence, because he's… not out. Less out than me I mean. So he might actually go along with it."

"Really? That's…" he remembers Dave going out with Santana, and at least they knew about the other.

"Sad?" He nods. "Yeah, from what he's told me his parents are really homophobic, so he's been busting his ass to get a scholarship and become self-sufficient so that he can leave for college and not look back."

"That's awful. We're really lucky aren't we…" he doesn't need an answer, but Dave is nodding as he fills a bucket with hot water. He moves the high chairs into the dining room and onto an already clean bit of floor, laughing at the twins as they start to clap at Dave as he mops the floor. This is familiar, and it's reassuring and comforting that nothing extreme has changed between them.

They work together and finally get the twins upstairs to Claire and the bath, dropping dirty clothes into the basket and knowing now where the pajamas are kept, getting them out. He gets Lily to dress and feed, and he knows now it's because she's much gentler. They have the system so well organized now he wonders what they do when he isn't here. Or what Claire does when Dave isn't here. The idea of having a new baby thrown in the mix makes him wonder how parents cope, and he knows Dave is worried about Claire and his dad coping. By the time they put the babies down conversation has eased into their regular topics, relaxed and comfortable once again.

Dinner is a fantastic meatloaf with garbanzo beans and bacon, with creamy mashed potato for mopping up the sauce and a salad. He savors it, and he tapers down the bubbling laughter when he considers that he's been eating dinner with this family weekly for months, and now, instead of feeling worried or nervous he just feels at home. He catches Dave's eye across the table and smiles, hoping to convey a little of what he's feeling.

LSY

It all feels completely normal, because they do this every week, but then it hits him, that this week is different. The little smiles from Kurt, the pauses which felt slightly awkward until they managed to get over that, and now they're at the point where they would usually go up to his room and talk for an hour or two. Sometimes they've done homework, but most of the time they talk utter crap – he'll talk football, which he knows Kurt doesn't understand or is even interested in, and Kurt will talk music, or fashion, and he doesn't understand that, but he likes listening to Kurt being passionate about something, and he guesses that's the same reason Kurt likes hearing him talk.

Tonight though he's not sure about whether the rules have changed and they'll go up to his room still. He's pretty sure Kurt is wondering the same thing, and maybe he needs to change it up a bit. Make this different.

"You want to go and sit out in the backyard? It's warm enough…"

"For polar bears maybe… but yes, actually, that sounds nice."

"Let me go grab a couple of blankets."

He grabs the entire pile and carries them to the back door, which Kurt holds open and just eyes the large pile. He spreads one out, and then another on top, passes another to Kurt to wrap up in and save another for himself. Claire will probably chew his ear later, but he doesn't care. Right now he's making a nest of blankets on the lawn in his back garden and he relaxes slightly when Kurt drops to his knees and crosses his legs, staring up at the darkening sky. He lowers himself so he's sitting sort of beside him, but also angled enough so he doesn't have to twist to face him to talk to him either.

"See, it's not so bad. It is spring you know."

"Hmm, tell that to the permafrost."

"I don't think we get permafrost in Ohio."

"David."

"Kurt," he replies in the same exasperated tone, and he gets quite chuckle that makes the blanket settled over his shadow completely surplus to requirements, his body suffusing with heat at the sound of Kurt laughing. This feels a lot more date like, quite intimate with the decreasing light levels, and maybe this wasn't the brightest of ideas. His brightly lit bedroom, with the hastily tidied mess isn't exactly romantic, so may have actually been better.

"This is nice. Quiet."

"Yeah…" he agrees, and lets out a long quiet breath, glad he hasn't screwed up. He feels like he's exhausted most avenues of conversation already, and he knows from seeing couples around school that making out makes up a large portion of their time together, but he doesn't expect that with Kurt. Is glad there are multiple reasons for going slow, and he likes talking to Kurt, spending time with him. He doesn't want their friendship to be supplanted by a boyfriend-boyfriend relationship.

"Do you know anything about the stars?"

"Astronomy? Nope. Well, apart from like the little and big dipper, but I guess everyone knows those."

"Show me anyway?"

He swallow and nods, but then croaks out a 'yes' and points them out, his hands shaking a bit as he points up at the sky as Kurt lies down on the blanket, wrapping the other one around him a bit like a toga, leaving one arm free. He doesn't know if he should lie down as well, or if that's a bad idea, so he sits, frozen with indecision while his neck develops a crick from staring at the sky. The slide of something along his pinky finger makes it twitch. It's so softly gentle and his head snaps toward Kurt, and he can't really see much, except lots of shadows, but then his pinky finger is being squeezed and he squeezes back, hoping that that's okay.

They lie there, talking quietly and making up funny names for imaginary constellations, pointing them out to each other. He never would have thought holding a guys finger would be quite so thrilling, but it's probably because it's Kurt's finger, and this is his first everything. There's so many way he might fuck this up, but right now he feels like everything is perfect and he smiles into the night.