Author's note: Sorry for the delays. Couldn't be helped. My grandmother died and one of my babies (yes, I have twins) is going in for (minor) surgery next week (still involves a general anaesthetic so not awesome, but it's a very routine procedure).

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

The fact that he didn't fail horribly into his first foray into dating puts him in a good mood for the rest of the week. Even Honey, Nate and Terence organizing another movie night at his place for Saturday doesn't make him the slightest bit grumpy. Even when Terence lets slip that Dave has a boyfriend now Honey's eyes light up and he can tell Terence is instantly apologetic but just hearing someone else say he has a boyfriend makes him grin.

"You have to invite him. I want to meet the guy that has stolen your heart!"

Both Nathan and Terence snicker and he rolls his eyes, because he's pretty sure whatever romantic notions Honey might have are going to be completely shot to hell. He might be a closet romantic, to go with his semi-closeted sexuality, but he's not about to woo Kurt like that. Not yet. He's pretty sure Honey has other ideas though. She's listing movies, all romantic dramas or comedies, and he's pretty sure that none of them want to see that. Terence informs her the only romantic movies he's watching is Princess Bride, and both he and Nathan crack up, even more so when Honey coyly replies with 'as you wish' and then informs him she has three copies.

He and Kurt text and e-mail back and forth, and he invites him along to Saturday, saying he wants to introduce his boyfriend to his friends. He stares at the message before sending it, throat tightening and heart racing a little. Boyfriend. When he gets back a 'They've already met me. I haven't changed that much in a week.' He sends back a 'Haha, Honey will be there.' That get's an immediate acceptance. He knows Kurt has been dying of curiosity to meet her, and somehow she's wedged her way into his inner circle and made herself at home.

LSY

He's early, and lets himself in and heads through to the kitchen, knowing that's where they'll be from Dave's text. He's more relaxed this time, about meeting Dave's friends. Mainly because he's met them all before, except for Honey, and how scary can a girl his age be? Then he thinks of Rachel, and what Dave has told him about her, and okay, so maybe he's justified in being a little worried. Dave is sitting at the kitchen bench, watching Nathan chop stuff up as they talk about school. He walks up beside Dave and bumps into him gently as a form of greeting and they exchange quiet smiles. Nathan greets him but goes back to intently paying attention to finely slicing carrot and cucumber and Dave shrugs, informing him Nathan is apparently making them sushi for dinner.

Dave's dad and Claire have taken the twins and gone to Columbus for the weekend to look at houses, and he wishes Dave hadn't sounded so down about it when he'd told him. He gets that everyone is moving on in a few months, he's actually excited about it, his future still a little uncertain and he doesn't know yet where he'll end up. It's exhilarating. And a bit scary. The doorbell rings and the look exchanged between Nathan and Dave tells him it has to be Honey. Terence seems like a door knocker, not a bell ringer, and he wonders if the poor guy has been made to bring her here, as if this is a date.

He pauses, is it a date for him and Dave? Does just hanging out with friends constitute as a date? Before, it wouldn't have. But now… every time he spends with Dave feels special in someway, and if that isn't what a date is meant to do than he's not really sure of the purpose of them. They already know each other so well, given how much they've talked in the last few months. They haven't talked about sex though, or relationships or things like that, which he supposes is why they were both so quick to jump to conclusions about who they might be dating.

"Kurt, this is Honey, and you know Terence. Honey, this is Kurt."

"His boyfriend," Kurt adds, because he's certain Dave was thinking it, and the cute shy smile Dave gives him tells him he's one hundred percent right.

Honey looks at him, then at Dave, and then back at him before she's hugging him and he stiffens in shock at the unfamiliar contact before relaxing again, patting her awkwardly on the back before she pulls away, exclaiming how great it is to meet him, that they're going to get along great and he can see why Dave and Terence both feel a little blind-sided. She doesn't really let him get a word in, so he just smiles and nods, looking to Dave and holding back a giggle.

"You okay?" Dave asks, barely above a whisper and he looks at him again.

"Of course. I'm fine. Don't worry about me," Kurt says, and he reaches for Dave's hand and squeezes it before letting it drop back to his side. They all gather around the table and he offers Nathan a hand, which is gratefully accepted. He grins at Dave when Nathan mutters about him being completely incompetent in the kitchen. He can't fault Nathan's cooking abilities, the sushi is amazing but it's gone too fast and he's pretty sure they're going to have to order pizza later, especially when Az gets here.

Kara and Mickey have shown up, and they're funny and unassuming, he likes their easy going nature, accepting of everything around them. They're all talking about prom, the nominations for queen and king having come out the day before. Dave doesn't look impressed when they bring it up, and he turns to him.

"You've been nominated for Senior Prom King?"

"No thanks to this lot here," Dave mutters, and Kurt looks around and Kara and Terence are grinning.

"Maybe you can make it two for two?"

"Not going to happen. I'm not going," Dave states.

"You keep on saying that! Why? I'd much rather have you as my kind than any of the others… wait, what did you mean two for two?"

"You're running for Prom Queen?" Kurt asks.

"Yes, someone nominated me."

She looks blissfully pleased by this and Dave mouths 'me' at him and he can't believe that after all his grumbling Dave has gone and nominated her and he shakes his head. They're waiting for the popcorn to be ready, and Honey is telling him they're going to watch Princess Bride, that it's hers and Terence's favorite film and he's pretty sure he hears Terence mutter 'kill me now' just under Dave laughing. They all go through to the den, and it looks different with all the toys tidied away, extra spacious and he heads toward his usual spot before Honey is grabbing him and aiming him toward the large sofa.

"You two sit over there, seeing as you're the only official couple here." He notes the pointed look she gives Terence, his hunted expression and he wonders if things would be any different if he could come out. He doesn't know his story, not fully, just the little from what he told him last Saturday, which wasn't promising and he smiles at him, wondering if his eyes convey how sad he feels inside for him.

"Uh, Mickey and I are an official couple," Kara states, looking a little disgruntled as the two of them curl up together on a massive beanbag.

"But you two have never not been a couple. We need to give the new couple some room to snuggle."

"Whatever, we can snuggle fine just where we are," Kara states but he's kind of not listening anymore. Snuggling. His eyes flick wildly to Dave, who looks like he's a little concerned, but he just smiles slightly and shakes his head before sitting down beside him, linking their pinkies and squeezing, but still maintaining a fairly respectable distance.

"There you go, snuggle up with him. None of us mind."

He actually sees Terence and Azimio tense up slightly, and while his initial thought of them being uncomfortable seeing him and Dave potentially snuggling doesn't seem to sit right, because they're not looking put out, they actually look… worried? Oh. A quick glance at Dave and it's like a three-way silent conversation, four if they include him and he is actually amused by their concern. And touched. But he's really not that fragile. Not anymore. As if to prove it to them, and to himself, he leans into Dave, resting his head on his shoulder and his body shakes with silent amusement, earning him a gentle poke in the side from Dave. Honey puts the DVD in and then settles down beside Terence, pretty much draping herself over him and Kurt looks at Dave with wide eyes. Dave looks torn between the same sadness he felt earlier and amusement.

"There we go, three happy couples…" Honey states, pressing play on the remote and he feels Dave tense beside him.

"Uh…" Terence and Kara both start, and he catches the sudden and intense exchange between Kara and Terence. He didn't think Terence had told anyone else, but Kara clearly looks like she knows, and Terence looks like he's just remembered that she knows, and he feels like he's watching a really intense unfolding drama.

"Honey! How about we go and get some cups and drinks for everyone?"

"Actually yeah, I'm really thirsty…" Dave says, cottoning on to something, whatever it is he's trying to do, and he's not even really sure himself.

"But I – oh, okay…"

They make a show of pausing the movie, although it's not like any of them haven't seen it a dozen times before and he wonders how to broach it exactly, without outing anyone or being condescending.

"So, you seem pretty interested in Terence."

"Yeah, he's really sweet isn't he?"

"He sure is… Nathan too."

"Nathan? I'm sorry, have you seen Nathan? He's… a bit weedy for my liking."

"Oh." He'd kind of paired Nathan alongside his own build, slim and on the lean side. Although Nathan is about the same height as Finn so looks a bit more gangly maybe, he's not really been completely objective. "What about Azimio?"

"Hmm. I haven't really thought about him… why?"

"I just… I don't think Terence is interested."

"Oh. You really think so?" She looks really disappointed at the thought and he feels horrible, but better this than her chasing after him.

"I might be wrong, but I'm usually pretty good at picking up things like that."

"I just really like him. He reminds me of Dave a bit… oh." She looks embarrassed and he pats her on the arm.

"It's okay, Dave is pretty fabulous. And I've had embarrassing crushes on straight guys so I kind of know what you're feeling…"

"Really?"

"Yes. Really. Anyway, I know some really nice guys I can always introduce you to." She looks at him disbelievingly and he huffs. "They're all straight. I went to a private boys boarding school for a while, and trust me, they would adore you."

She looks pleased at that, and he relaxes a little, glad her self confidence isn't completely crushed at the idea of Terence not being head over heels for her.

"Thanks Kurt. I always seem to be making an idiot of myself over guys… at least I didn't get too bad this time."

He just smiles and grabs some glasses, filling them with water.

"Oh! I remember what I wanted to ask you. What did you mean two for two? About prom?"

"Oh, just that David was prom king at our junior prom last year. And I was prom queen. A bit of a nasty prank on me, that was even worse for David. He wasn't out, and he definitely wasn't ready to dance at prom with the resident fag."

"I… that's horrible."

"Yeah. Hence why he doesn't exactly want to go to his prom this year. Which is a shame, because I get the impression he's really well liked at Carmel."

"Well liked? Dave is like… one of the most popular guys in school. I know some of the guys in the football team don't like it very much, that he's kind of just swooped in and become Mr Popular."

"Oh." He hadn't realized that Dave was popular. Not that it matters, because it's clear from the people in the other room, that Dave is out to, that being popular isn't important to him anymore. Or not as much anyway.

"Right, let me take that. Oh, Nathan," she says and Nathan is standing just in the doorway and he wonders how long he's been there.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted a quick word with Kurt…"

He looks to him as if asking his permission, and he has no idea what Nathan might want to say to him but he shrugs, waving Honey away with the drinks.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Well, not really I just… noticed something earlier and I wanted to say you're not alone."

"What?"

"Uh, I might be wrong I guess, but you just looked a little, um, anxious about people touching you. And I wanted to say I get it, because I suffer from it as well and –"

"Wait. Suffer from what?"

He sees the color drain from Nathan's face and he doesn't know how, but he's somehow put his foot in it, and he knows there is something about Nathan, something that Dave wouldn't share with him, the same way Dave has reassured him that he hasn't shared what Kurt has gone through with him and…

"I was sexually assault a few months ago. By my boyfriend at the time. I've become a little… jumpy around new people. Dave knows because he found me vomiting in the parking lot after it happened. Azimio knows because I may have screamed something at my ex-boyfriend in the halls at school. Terence knows because I told him last weekend. When he shared something with me." He says it all quietly, trying to think ahead and not say anything incriminating.

"Oh. I uh… that really sucks man."

"Yes. It did. And I thought I was better, but maybe I'm not quite all the way there yet if you noticed something."

"No, I just, thought it was odd you and Dave weren't more… you know. But I guess that makes sense now." Kurt smiles and ducks his head, because he likes the idea of being a couple with Dave despite freaking out over it a little. "Well, I was going to offer you some tips about panic attacks and shit, but I guess you don't really need it."

"No, actually I wouldn't mind talking about it… are you… okay?"

"Oh, fine. Social anxiety. I'm on meds. Dave helps too, in his way, but I guess you already knew that…"

That makes him laugh a little and he nods, grinning.

David Karofsky, savior and friend to many.

Who would have thought.

LSY

He's not sure why Nathan suddenly disappeared, but when he reappears, Kurt trailing after him he looks between them, worried that maybe they're upset over something. What, he has no idea, but it isn't until they both smile at him reassuringly that he relaxes, instantly tensing up again when Kurt sits down beside him. He can't help but be surprised when Kurt lift his arm and indicates he should place it around his shoulders. He does it slowly, worried that this is Kurt pushing himself too far too fast, but then his head is resting on his shoulder and he feels Kurt relax against him. It's the best feeling in the world to date and then he instantly has to revise the thought when Kurt reaches for his hand and links their fingers.