Sebastian was rushing back into the building from the student parking lot. He had forgotten his mp3 player and wanted it for study hall. It's nice to have such small technology available for any teenager to survive study hall. Lunch had just ended, the bell rang, and he was in a hurry.

As Sebastian was entering the building, he saw David Karofsky leaving the choir room.

That's odd, Sebastian thought. Dave is not in glee or choir. He had no business being in that area of the school. That thought halted Sebastian. Dave was fiddling with the hem of his Izod shirt, walking briskly down the hall. He never saw Sebastian.

Shrugging, Sebastian simply put his mp3 player in his backpack and proceeded down the hall, until something stopped him in his tracks.

Not twenty seconds later, Matt Saranity was coming out of the choir room, messing with the hem of his Marc Jacobs shirt.

"No way." Sebastian muttered with an ornery smile.

.

"What is your problem, Smythe?!" Dave roared. His fists were gripping Sebastian's shirt, practically tearing the material, as Dave pinned him up against the lockers. "You've been smirking at me like a little shit all through study hall and I'm sick of it!"

Sebastian's trademark smirk slipped from time to time, but he held firm against Dave. He towered over Sebastian easily. Sebastian knew Dave wouldn't hurt him, but he wasn't so sure now. He didn't want to resort to blackmail just to survive. Sebastian may be a lot of things, but he is not cruel just to be cruel. Well, not anymore.

"Let go of me, please." Sebastian said, with a little, twitchy smile. "The lockers are hurting my back."

"That's right they are," Dave growled, as he tightened his grip even further, "and they're not going to go soft any time soon." Dave's knuckles were turning white. Sebastian tried his best to show no fear, but lost from time to time. Dave noticed and smiled.

Only a handful of students were watching what was happening. The student body knew that when David Karofsky had somebody up against the lockers, it was best to avoid the situation altogether. For some reason, teachers weren't around to stop Dave. And Dave knew that.

"Dave, please let me go."

"What is your problem, Smythe?!"

Sebastian just stood there for a moment, weighing his options. He finally decided on a course of action – least resistance.

"Dave, I'm sorry." Sebastian said politely. "I'm new here and I didn't know who you were exactly. You looked familiar and I was trying to place who you were. That's all."

Dave narrowed his eyes, studying this strange, cute boy in his grasp. He knew Sebastian was lying, but he just didn't care. He wanted Sebastian to stop staring and smirking at him!

"Now you know." Dave said quietly, threateningly. "Now, leave me alone."

And with that Dave let Sebastian go and tore down the hallway in a fury. Sebastian nearly lost his balance, but regained his composure relatively quickly.

I wonder if he's that passionate with Matt, Sebastian thought.

Predictably, Sebastian smirked.

.

"Matt, do you know Sebastian Smythe?"

Matt paused. He was sitting on his bed, while Dave was sitting at Matt's desk. The boys were working on homework – Matt with a sociology term paper and Dave with calculus. The early evening sun was nearly set and the boys were comfortably in Matt's bedroom. Dave was rotating his throwing arm from time to time. Quarterbacks always have stiff arms after practice. Matt offered to rub it for him, but Dave politely refused.

"Yes. He's in glee." Matt replied simply.

Dave and Matt continued to work in silence. Matt's parents were incredibly accommodating and pleasant to be around. When Dave arrived, Eileen offered him a glass of OJ while Matt Sr. smiled warmly.

Why can't my parents be like Matt's, Dave desperately thought.

"What's he like?" Dave inquired.

Matt dropped his pencil in his textbook, setting the book to his side. Matt looked at his boyfriend with an almost critical eye.

"He's cute, cocky, a good singer…..and gay."

Dave's head shot up in total surprise. Matt apathetically smiled.

"Yeah, he talks to me in glee. He figured out that I'm gay and that I have a boyfriend."

Dave shot up out of his chair, commanding his presence in the room. His horrified eyes were glued to Matt, desperately waiting for more information. His heart rate jumped, eyes bulged, and an overall panic attack could've been in the works had Matt not gotten up, placed a soft hand gently, soothingly over Dave's flying heart.

"Don't worry, Grizzly. He doesn't know who you are." Matt softly said.

But Dave was still scared. He hadn't considered Sebastian was gay. And yet, after thinking about it again, Sebastian did have a sense about him that was suggestive in some way to Dave, even when he had him pinned against the lockers.. Dave was unhappy.

"Dave, sit down."

Dave obeyed, sitting practically on top of Matt's sociology textbook. He didn't even care. Matt sat right beside him, struggling to pull the book away from Dave's butt. Finally, Dave shifted, allowing Matt to yank the textbook free. He set the book on the floor, sat beside Dave, and dove for his hand.

Dave gratefully held it tightly.

"Really. He doesn't know who you are."

"I'm not so sure…." Dave whispered.

Matt furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Dave started to shake. He wasn't ready for the secret to be revealed. Everything had to go according to plan or his life would be over – or so he thought. Every gay man has to be in control of how and when he comes out. Being outed would be the worst for Dave and he knew it. And, he wanted to be with his boyfriend, proudly strutting down the halls of William McKinley High School when he was ready for it. Suddenly, Sebastian was a huge threat to that.

"Dave?"

Dave still didn't answer. Instead, he just held onto Matt's hand so, so tightly. In fact, too tightly.

"D-Dave!" Matt screeched.

Dave instantly relaxed his grip, but didn't let go.

"S-sorry."

Matt placed his small hands on Dave's chin, gently turning Dave to him. Dave's sadness and fear could've pushed Matt off the bed. Matt hated when Dave was like this.

"Remember earlier today when I asked you if you loved me and you barely hesitated?" Matt sweetly asked.

Dave nodded in Matt's chin grip.

"And I told you I loved you too?"

Again, Dave nodded. Matt chose this moment to pull out of Dave's grip and both hands cupped Dave's terrified face.

"That means that you won't be alone. And you don't have to be afraid, unless you choose it, Dave."

Upon hearing those words, sadness won. Dave began to cry, supported by Matt's hands. Matt, immediately knowing what to do, pulled Dave's face to his chest and held him. Dave cried and cried. All those years of fear, insecurity, and secrecy were weighing on Dave's shoulders, and he was suffocating under the weight. But he had Matt. He wouldn't be alone.

Please don't let go of me, Matt!

Dave just kept crying. Matt was rubbing gentle circles along Dave's neck and shoulders, where emotional pain always attacks. Gradually, Dave was getting annoyed with his tears, angrily swiping away at his face.

Dave slowly sat upright. Sitting together, the boys were hardly eye level. He had to look down several inches into Matt's compassionate eyes. But in that moment, there were two equal boys, sharing pain and passion. Dave was so grateful!

"Don't leave me, Matt." Dave quietly and desperately whispered.

Matt's eyes shot up and then immediately right back down.

"Of course not, Grizzly." Matt soothingly said, "You're mine."

Dave chuckled and even smiled. He couldn't help bending down to kiss his boyfriend. After all, Matt was an amazing boyfriend. And Dave would prove that he could and would be too, if he hadn't already in Matt's eyes. He hoped he did.

After a while, Dave had regained control of his emotions.

"Dave, I'll have a talk with Sebastian tomorrow." Matt encouragingly began. "I'll find out what he knows. He probably knows nothing. But why would you suspect he knows about you and us?"

Dave briefly recalled the events after study hall. He was pretty proud of his actions, but knew Matt wouldn't be.

"Well, he kept looking at me in study hall with that stupid, arrogant smirk." Dave replied with a clear annoyance in his tone. "I don't like him. He rubs me the wrong way. So, after class, I…confronted him." And as Dave was nearing the end of his statement, he looked away from Matt. Matt knew what that meant.

"What do you mean you 'confronted him'?" Matt asked, already knowing the answer.

Dave just looked further away, sinking a little bit in the bed.

"David Alan Karofsky?!"

Still, David said nothing, looking like a boy who was about to get grounded.

"David!"

Dave's eyes shot back up to Matt and then quickly looked away before he could speak.

"I…uh…." Dave struggled to explain his actions. Matt strongly encouraged a more peaceful Dave in the halls of McKinley. But, Matt knew that didn't happen. He knew Karofsky had made an appearance, but wanted Dave to fess up.

"What did you do?" Matt asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well…I kinda…asked Sebastian what his problem was. The little brat said some bullshit about not knowing who I was and he was trying to figure that out."

Matt, of course, wasn't convinced.

"And….?" Matt asked impatiently.

Dave stood up, but Matt stood right up too, getting in Dave's face as best as his 5'9" frame could confront a 6'5" guy. Dave looked down, guiltily, without looking Matt in the eye.

"Well, I might've…held him against the locker." Dave sheepishly admitted.

"David!" Matt exclaimed, clearly angry.

"Well, he was annoying me! And that damn smirk of his. I just…didn't like it." Dave finished with a little whine to his voice.

"David. Do I need to remind you not to get suspended this year? And, I thought 'Karofsky' was neatly tucked away? Why did you hurt Sebastian?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Dave pleaded like a seven year old. "I just… he made me mad." Dave sunk right back to the bed.

Matt sighed. He was just as frustrated about Dave's temper as Dave was. Dave's reputation hadn't been forgotten amongst the student body, but that temper would be news to Sebastian.

Matt sat beside a sullen Dave. After a while, he looked over at Dave. Dave was miserable. Disappointed with himself, he absentmindedly scratched his cheek, and then dropped his hands back onto his lap.

"Alright, Dave." Matt gently began. "I'll talk with Sebastian and find out what he knows, which like I said before, is probably nothing. But in the meantime," Matt took the time to firmly grab Dave's chin and snap his head to make eye contact, "Karofsky can't reappear. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. Sorry, Matt." Dave said sadly.

Matt sighed. Then, he kissed Dave on the cheek and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Dave asked, a little whine in his voice.

Matt bent down, picking up his sociology textbook.

"I'm going to study."

.

After the study date, Dave was walking up to the front door of his house. He always hated it when he disappointed his boyfriend, but he went with what he knew. Sebastian not only hit, but smashed Dave's buttons. Dave scowled thinking of him.

Dave opened the front door to find his Dad in the living room, working on a computer near the back of the room, reviewing game tape. His back turned to his son, Paul gradually spun around in the chair.

"There's leftovers in the fridge." Paul calmly announced.

"Thanks." Dave mechanically replied. But Dave froze. His Dad had a look on his face like he wanted to say something, but didn't. Dave hated that look. So, he took the initiative to walk through the living room and into the kitchen.

True to his Dad's word, there was leftover pizza in the fridge. Dave grabbed three pieces of pepperoni pizza and turned towards the microwave. He placed the pizza in the microwave, set the timer, and turned it on. The soft whirring on the microwave was the only sound in the room until Dave looked up.

Paul was looking at him. But he was staring with an almost accusatory look in his eyes. Dave said nothing, staring right back at his father.

"How's Azimio, or your girlfriend, or whoever you were out with tonight?" Paul asked, not so nicely.

Dave couldn't hide his annoyance.

"Azimio is fine," Dave began distractedly, "I don't have a girlfriend, and Matt is doing homework, I think."

"Then where were you?"

Dave froze. He knew his Dad was up to something, but he was so, so tired of lying. But he was also torn.

"I just went driving around after practice. I have a lot to think about with this Friday's game." Dave replied, turning back towards the microwave, watching the pizza spin around.

Paul studied Dave a little closer.

"Yeah, I'll bet you were."

Dave stared at his Dad almost hatefully.

"What is your-" Dave began, but the bell on the microwave sounded off. His pizza was done cooking. Dave removed the hot plate, grabbed a paper towel for a napkin, and started to head out of the kitchen. But Paul blocked his way.

"I said, where were you?" Paul demanded.

Dave now was angry.

"You wanna know where I was?" Dave said with a quiet fury, getting up in his Dad's face. Paul nodded. "I was over at Matt's house, helping with his sociology paper and doing my calculus homework."

Paul said nothing for few moments. He was simply studying Dave, which made Dave very uncomfortable. Finally, Paul leaned forward, almost touching Dave's face.

"You'd make your mother proud." Paul sneered, and turned around and left the kitchen.

Dave was dumbfounded. What the hell does that mean?!

Dave took his pizza to his room and ate dinner.

.